.^ 


Akik      ^1H»  MiSiriM^  ^^&ill*fr. 


Prof.  Oscar  R.  Cileason. 


Gleason's  Horse  Book. 


The  only  authorized  Work  by 


America's  King  of  Horse  Tamers 


COMPRISING 


History,  Breeding,  Training,  Breaking,  Buying, 

Feeding,  Grooming,  Shoeing,  Doctoring, 

Telling  Age,  and  General  Care 

of  the  Horse. 


By  Prof.  Oscar  R.  Gleason, 

Renowned  throughout   America   and   recognized   by  the   U.  S. 

Government  as  the  most  Expert  and  Successful 

Horseman  of  the  Present  ase. 


PRORUSELY     ILLUSTRATED. 


ENTERPRISE   PUBLISHING  CO., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


■zt-f::-'x:K 


copyeight,  1892, 
By  Oscar  R.  Gleason. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGK 

INTRODUCTION, 5 


HISTORY  OF  THE  HORSE, 9 

INTELLIGENCE  OF  THE  HORSE, 15 

EDUCATING  THE  HORSE.— New  method  of  haltering  a  wild  or  vicious 
colt. — To  educate  the  horse  to  the  words  "  come  here  " ;  how  to  get  a 
horse  up  that  throws  himself;  to  educate  a  colt  to  drive  before  being 
harnessed ;  to  educate  a  colt  to  move  his  body  when  he  moves  his 
head;  instructions  to  ride  the  colt;  to  prevent  a  horse  from  kicking 
and  pawing  in  the  stall ;  to  educate  a  horse  not  to  get  cast  in  the  stall ; 
to  catch  a  horse  easily;  to  prevent  rearing  under  saddle  or  before 
a  carriage  ;  to  prevent  cribbing ;  to  prevent  kicking  when  the  lines  get 
under  the  horse's  tail ;  bits  used  in  educating  bad  horses  ;  to  educate  a 
horse  not  to  be  afraid  of  objects  when  driving;  first  lesson  with  the 
umbrella ;  horses  bad  to  bridle ;  to  make  a  "  single  foot "  horse  trot 
"  square " ;  to  educate  a  pacer  to  trot ;  to  educate  a  horse  to  trot ;  to 
educate  a  horse  not  to  kick  in  the  shafts;  to  infuse  life  into  a  lazy 
horse ;  to  start  a  balky  horse, 24 


PACK 

TEACHING  HORSES  TRICKS.— To  take  a  handkerchief  from  his 
side ;  to  kiss  a  boy ;  to  bore  for  oil ;  to  make  a  horse  walk  up ; 
to  sit  down ;  to  drive  a  boy  off  a  pedestal ;  to  shake  hands ;  to  make  a 
bow  ;  to  walk  on  his  knees ;  to  be  vicious  ;  to  laugh  ;  to  push  a  vehicle; 
•  to  "  go  lame "  ;  to  walk  on  his  hind  feet ;  to  say  "  no " ;  to  mount  a 
pedestal;  to  waltz, 46 

HOW  TO  BUY. — Get  correct  information ;  the  buyer ;  proportions  of 
the  horse ;  the  Cleveland  bay  for  profit ;  the  light  harness  horse ; 
saddle  horses  of  all  gaits;  the  high-bred  hunting  horse;  racing  horses; 
what  the  racer  should  be ;  how  to  detect  vices  and  defects ;  other  faults 
and  imperfections ;  buying  cheap  horses ;  color  in  relation  to  value ; 
action;  fast  walking  horses;  what  a  horse  should  be;  form  for  pur- 
chasing,       54 

HOW  TO  FEED,  WATER,  AND  GROOM.— Laying  the  foundation; 
what  to  feed ;  Avhen  to  feed ;  watering ;  kinds  and  quantities  of  food ; 
how  to  prepare  the  food ;  mashes,  gruel,  and  hay  tea ;  the  value  of 
hay  and  straw ;  feeding  grain ;  stable  care  and  training ;  the  time  to 
clean;  care  of  the  feet;  blanketing  when  necessary;  proper  tools  for 
the  stable, 75 

BREEDING  AND  RAISING  HORSES.— Importance  of  the  subject; 
the  best  stock  the  cheapest ;  hereditary  tendencies  and  immaturity ; 
principles  of  transmission;  "in  and  in"  and  "cross  breeding";  treat- 
ment of  mai-e ;  how  to  know  a  mare  is  in  foal ;  how  to  know  time  of 
foaling ;  "  slinking  "  or  abortion ;  how  to  raise  colts ;  mules, 85 

BREAKING    AND    TAMING    WILD   AND   VICIOUS    HORSES.— 

Nature  of  the  horse ;  names  and  situations  of  external  parts ;  questions 
and  answers;  handling  and  driving  a  colt;  the  working  of  the  new 
Gleason  bit;  the  stable;  circulation  of  air;  hay  tea;  how  to  make  the 
Gleason  surcingle;  to  accustom  horses  to  objects  when  driving;  you 
must  educate  your  horse ;  bad  biters ;  how  to  drive  a  horse  up  to  an 
object  that  he  is  afraid  of;  all  grades  of  balky  horses;  cleaning  collars; 
harness  and  saddles  ;  the  celebrated  "  Gleason  bridle"  ;  answering  ques- 


PAGE 

tiuns ;  l-ulies'  equeitriauiwni ;  regulating  and  managing  a  government 
farm;  shipping  horses;  special  to  tlie  farmer;  errors  in  feeding;  feed- 
ing during  a  hard  marcli  or  long  drive ;  care  when  heated ;  in  the 
spring, 104 

METHODS  FOR  DETECTING  UNSOUNDNESS.— How  to  examine  a 

horse ;  kinds  of  unsoundness ;  treatment, 220 

THE  TEETH. — New  method  of  telling  age ;  the  teeth  and  jaws  at  various 

ages ;  a  poem, 224 

HORSE-SHOEING  DEPARTMENT.— Questions  with  valuable  answers ; 
shoes  for  over-reaching ;  corns ;  toe  cracli ;  the  saddle  horse's  feet ;  the 
soaking  tub ;  tlie  turf  horse's  foot ;  perfect  feet ;  packing  and  soaking 
horses  feet ;  a  few  points, 241 

DISEASES  OF  THE  HORSE.— Causes  of  Diseases,  269 ;  How  to  Observe 
Disease,  The  Principles  of  Disease,  270 ;  The  Pulse,  272 ;  Breathing, 
Treatment  of  Disease,  273 ;  How  Diseases  are  Cured  Without  Medicine, 
274 ;  Nature,  Symptoms,  Cause  and  Treatment, 275 

Abrasion,  Abscess,  Acari,  Accidents,  276;  Aconite,  Alternatives, 
Amaurosis,  Anaemia,  Aneurism,  Apoplexy,  277  ;  Aphtha,  Atrophy,  .    .    278 

Back  Sinlusis,  Baldness,  Belly  Ache,  Big  Head,  Bishoping,  Bite  of 
Mad  Dog,  279 ;  Bladder  Disease,  Bleeding,  280 ;  Bloody  Urine,  Blood, 
Boils,  Bots,  Bowels,  282 ;  Brain  Diseases,  Breaking  Down,  Breathing 
Short,  Breeze  -Flies,  Brittle  Feet,  Bronchi,  283;  Bronchitis,  284; 
Bronchocele,  Broken  Knees,  285;  Bruises  of  the  Sole,  Burns  and 
Scalds,  286  ;  Bursa  Mucosa  Enlarged, 287 

Calculi,  Cancer,  Canine  Rabies,  Capped  Elbow,  287 ;  Chapped  Hock, 
Carditis,  Caries,  288 ;  Castration,  Cataract,  Catarrh,  Cautery,  Cerebro- 
spinal Meningitis,  Chest  Diseases,  Chest  Founder,  Chilblains,  Chill, 
289 ;  Choking,  Chorea,  Cold,  290 ;  Cold  Lotions,  Colic,  291  ;  Coma, 
Congestion  of  Lungs,  Constipation,  293;  Consumption,  Contagion,  294; 


Contraction,  Convalescence,  Corns,  Coryza  Gangrenosa,  Corrosive  Sub- 
limate Cough,  Counter-irritants,  Cow  Hock,  Cramp,  295;  Crib- 
biting,  Curb,  296 ;  Curly  Hocked,  Cutaneous  Diseases,  Cutting,  ....    297 

Death  Debility,  297;  Deformities,  Denteropathia,  Diabetes,  298; 
Diaphoretics,  Diarrhcea,  Diathesis,  299;  Diet,  Disinfectants,  300; 
Distemper,  Diuretics,  Dropsies,  3o2  ;  Dysentery, 303 

Ear  Diseases,  Ecchymosis,  Eczema,  Elephantiasis,  Embrocation, 
Emetics,  303  ;  Emphysema,  Encysted  Tumors,  Encephaloid,  Endermic, 
Enema,  Epliemeral,  Epidemic,  Epizootic,  Epilepsy,  Epiphora,  304; 
Epsom  Salts,  Eruptions,  Erysipelas,  Exostosis,  Eyes,    . 305 

False  Quartei-,  Farcy,  310 ;  Fatty  Tumor,  Farrier,  Fever,  Fever  in 
Feet,  313  ;  Fibroma,  Fistula,  314  ;  Fistula  in  Foot,  Fistulous  Withers, 
Fits,  315;  Flaxseed,  Food,  316;  Foot  Diseases,  318 ;  Founder,  325; 
Fractures,  326;  Fracture  of  Hip  or  Pelvis,  328;  Fungi,  Frost  Bites,    .    329 

Gangrene,  Gastritis  Mucosa,  330;  Glanders,  332;  Glass  Eye,  Gleet, 
Granulation,  Gravel  in  Foot,  335;  Grease,  336;  Gripes,  Grogginess, 
Grunter,  337;  Gullet,  Gunshot  Wound,  Gutta  Sarena, 335 

Heart,  Heaves,  338;  Heat,  Hepatic  Diseases,  Hernia,  Herpes,  Heredi- 
tary Diseases,  339;  Hide  Bound,  340;  Hip  Joint  Diseases,  The  Hock, 
341;  Hooks  in  the  Eyes,  Horse  Fly,  342;  Humanity  to  Animals,  343; 
Hydrothorax,  Hydrocele,  Hydronemia,  Hydrophobia,  346;  Hyper- 
trophy, Hypodermic,  Hysteria, 347 

Indigestion,  Infection,  Inflammation,  Influenza,  348;  Injections,  849; 
Intestines,  Itch,  Interfering, 35O 

Jack  Jaundice,  Joint  Diseases,  350 ;  Jugular  Vein, 351 

Kidneys,  351  ;  Knees  Broken,  Knee  Joints,  Knuckling, 352 

Lameness,  Laminiti.«,  Lampas,  Laryngitis,  Leg,  Lice,  Ligaments, 
353;  Lipoma,  Liver,  354;  Loins,  Loss  of  Appetite,  Lumbago,  Lungs, 
356;  Lymph,  Lymphangitis, 359 


PAGE 

Madness,  Mad  Staggers,  Maggots,  Malignant,  Malignant  Epidemic, 
Mallenders,  Mange,  360 ;  Materia  Medica,  Megrims,  Melanosis,  Mela- 
noid.  Mesentery,  Mesenterica,  Metastasis,  Moon  Blindness,  361 ;  Morti- 
fication, Moribund,  Mouth,  362 ;    Mucous  Membrane,  Mucus,  Myalgia,    363 

Narcotics,  Nasal  Gleet,  Navicular  Disease,  Necrosis,  Nephritis, 
Nervousness,  364;  Neurotomy,  Nose,  Obesity,  (Edema,  365;  G^stro- 
mania,  Omentum,  Open  Joints,  Ophthalmia,  Ossification,  Osteology, 
Osteophorosis,  Ostitis,  Overreach,  Ozena, 3g(5 

Palliatives,  Paralysis,  366;  Pathology,  Patella,  Pasterns,  Pelvis, 
Pelvic  Abscess,  368  ;  Penis  Hanging  Out,  Peristaltic,  Peritonitis,  369 ; 
Periosteum,  Phagenda,  370 ;  Phlebitis,  Phlegmasia  Dolens,  Phrenitis, 
Physiology,  Physiciug,  Pleurisy,  371 ;  Pleuro-Pneumonia,  Pleurodynia, 
Pleuro-Pneumonia,  Poisons,  372 ;  PoU-evil,  373  ;  Polypi,  Predisposing 
Causes,  374;  Prick  of  the  Foot,  Probang,  Procidenta,  Prognosis, 
Prophylactics,  Proud  Flesh,  Prurigo,  Pulse,  Puncture,  375  ;  Purgatives, 
Purpura,  Pus,  Putrefaction,  376 ;    Putrid  Fever,  Pyemia, 377 

Quack  Medicines,  Quinsey,  Quitton, 377 

Eabies,  Rachitis,  377;  Eesolution,  Eespiration,  Eevulsion,  Eheuma- 
tism,  378 ;  Eing  Bone,  380 ;  Eing  Worm,  Eoaring,  Round  Bone, 
Eowels,  381 ;  Euptures, 382 

Saddle  Galls,  Sallenders,  Saliva,  Salivation,  385;  Sand  Cracks, 
Sanious  Pus,  Scalds,  Scald  Mouth,  Scarlatina,  Scratches,  Schirrus, 
Scouring,  Scrotum,  Scurf,  Secretion,  386;  Sedatives,  Serum,  Sirous 
Abscess,  Seton,  Shivers,  Shoeing  of  Sound  Feet,  387;  Shoulder  Lame- 
ness, 388 ;  Shoulder  Joint  Lameness,  Side  Bones,  Sinus,  Sitfasts,  390; 
Skeleton,  Skin  Diseases,  391  ;  Slough,  Soreness,  Soundness,  Spavin, 
395  ;  Specks  on  the  Eye,  Speedy  Cut,  Spleen  Diseases,  Splint,  Sprains, 
398;  Staggers,  399;  Stings,  Stifle  Joint  Lameness,  401;  Stomach 
Diseases,  Stone  in  Bladder,  Strangles,  Stranguary,  402;  Strangula- 
tion, Stringhalt,  403 ;  vStumbling,  Sunstroke,  Suppuration,  404  ;  Surfeit, 
Swelled  Legs,  Swellings,  Sweenie,  Sympathy,  405 ;  Synovia,  Synchro- 
nous, Systole, 406 


PAGE 

Tabanidoe,  Tabes,  Talpae,  Teeth,  Tetanus,  Tetter,  Thick  Wind, 
Thick  Leg,  Tliiselo,  Through  Pin,  Thread  Worms,  Tliroat  Diseases, 
Thrush,  Thrombus,  Tluimps,  406;  Tongue,  Tonics,  Toxicology,  Trache- 
otomy, Transfusion,  Tread,  Trepanning,  Trismus,  Tubercles,  Tumors, 
407  ;  Tympanitis,  Typhia,  Typhoid,  Typhosus, 409 

Ulcers,  411 ;  Urinary  Calculi,  Urine, 413 

Varicose,  Venesection,  Ventilation,  Vives,  . 413 

Warts,  Warranty,  413 ;  Warbles,  Water  Farcy,  Weeping  Eye,  Wens, 
Wheezing,  Whirl  Bone,  Wind  Galls,  Wind  Sucking,  Worms,  414; 
Wounds,  Wourali, 416 

Yellows,  Yellow  Water, 416 

LIFE  OF  PKOF.  OSCAR  R.  GLEASON,  by  W.  Fletcher  Johnson,    .   .    417 

CHAMPIONS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  TURF, 455 

LAWS  GOVERNING  AUCTION  SALES, 490 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGB 

Prof.  Oscar  E.  Gleason  (Half-tone  Portrait), Frontispiece 

Mrs.  Oscar  K.  Gleason, 1 

To  Halter  a  Wild  or  Vicious  Colt, 24 

Educating  a  Colt  to  Move  his  Body  wlien  he  Moves  his  Head, 28 

To  Prevent  a  Horse  from  Kicking  or  Pawing  in  the  Stall, 31 

To  Prevent  a  Horse  from  Getting  Cast  in  the  Stall, 32 

To  Educate  a  Horse  not  to  Kick  when  tlie  Lines  get  Under  liis  Tail,    ...  37 

To  Start  a  Balky  Horse, 45 

A  Fine  Stallion  Showing  Thorough  Blood, 55 

A  Light  Hunting  Horse, 57 

Proportions  of  the  Horse, 58 

A  Heavy  Hunting  Horse, 63 

The  Nervous  System  of  the  Horse, 101 

Skeleton  of  the  Horse, 103 

Names  and  Situitions  of  External  Parts,      •    .  105 

Intelligent  Driving  Horses, 106 

To  Handle  a  Whip  Over  a  Colt, 107 

Training  a  Colt, 108 

To  Handle  a  Colt's  Feet, 109 

To  Break  a  Colt  to  Ride 110 

Gleason's  Double  Safety  Eopes  in  Use,      112 

Treatment  for  a  Halter  Puller, 115 

Relative  Measurements, 116 

Handling  a  Colt's  Hind  Feet, 117 

Glea'ion's  Head  Strap  for  Shoeing  Vicious  Horses, 117 

Perfect  Heads  of  Draft  Horses, 118 


PAGE 

Gleason's  Bridle  Bit, 119 

The  Fiimous  Bit, • 121 

The  Horse  with  Overcheck, 122 

The  Horse*  in  Natural  Beauty  without  Check  Rein, 123 

Cruelly  Tor*'ired  by  High  Checking, 124 

Horses  Properly  Check-Reined, •    •   •    .  125 

The  High  Rack  or  Manger, .       ,   .   .    .    .  133 

Horse  Eating  Food  From  tlie  Ground,  the  Natural  Position, 134 

How  to  Make  the  Gleason  Surcingle, 135 

First  Position  Taken  in  Throwing  a  Horse, 137 

Second  Position  Taken  in  Throwing  a  Horse, 138 

Third  Position  Taken  in  Throwing  a  Horse, 139 

Fourth  Position  Taken  in  Throwing  a  Horse, 140 

Proper  Halter  to  be  Used  in  Throwing  a  Horse, 141 

Gleason's  Double  Safety  Strap, 146 

Starting  a  Balky  Horse, 148 

To  Educate  a  Horse  not  to  be  afraid  of  Objects, »   .    .    .    .-151 

To  Educate  a  Horse  not  to  be  Afraid  of  Steam, 152 

To  Break  a  Shier, 153 

Gleason's  Knee  Pads  and  Double  Safety  Straps, 154 

Horse  with  one  Foot  Raised  by  Double  Safety  Straps, 155 

To  Prevent  Pawing  in  the  Stall, 159 

To  Prevent  Kicking  in  the  Stall, 159 

Wiiirling  a  Horse  by  his  Tail, IGO 

A  Horse  that  Switches  his  Tail, o 161 

Educating  Horses  not  to  Fear  Fire  Crackers, 162 

Educating  a  Horse  not  to  Fear  Umbrellas  and  Paper, 163 

A  Vicious  Kicker  and  Plunger, 164 

A  Last  Resort  for  a  Bad  Kicker, ,    .    .    .    .  165 

To  Keep  a  Horse's  Tongue  in  his  Mouth, 165 

Teaching  a  Horse  to  Stand  to  Fire, 166 


PAQB 

Prof.  Gleason's  Famous  Revolver, 167 

Leading  Horses  in  Battle, 108 

To  Clean  Collars, 16U 

Double  Draw  Check  Eein, • 170 

Rig  for  Fence  Jumpers, 171 

To  Prevent  a  Horse  from  Tearing  his  Blanket, 172 

Grooming  the  Horse, 174 

Gleason's  Simple  Riding  Bridle, 176 

A  Gentleman's  Road  Horse, 177 

A  Good  Business  Horse, 177 

Driving  a  Plunger  in  Double  Harness      179 

Clipping, 180 

The  Celebrated  "  Gleason  Bridle," 181 

The  Bridle  in  Use, 182 

One  Good  Form  for  Using  the  Gleason  Bridle, 183 

The  Gleason  "Eureka"  Bridle,      184 

A  Rope  "  Bonaparte  "  Bridle, 185 

Tiie  Forward  Action  of  the  Bonaparte  Bridle, 186 

Gleason's  Break  Harness, 187 

Glea^ion's  Break  Harness  in  Parts, 188 

A  Breaking  Sulky, 189 

The  Single  Foot  Strap, 190 

The  Guy  Line  in  Use, 191 

Teaching  a  Horse  to  Pull  in  Harness, 192 

Shooting  Over  the  Horse's  Back, 193 

Throwing  the  Horse, 196 

The  Upper  and  Lower  Jaws, 228 

The  Foal's  Jaw  at  Birth, 229 

The  Mouth  of  a  Colt  Two  Weeks  Old,      230 

The  Mouth  of  a  Colt  Six  Weeks  Old, 230 

The  Front  Teeth  of  a  Colt  at  Nine  Months, 231 


I'AIIIC 

Jiiw  of  11  ('oil  III  ( >i((i  Yciir, 12I>I 

Jaw  of  iiColl  ill, 'I'wo  VriuH, 232 

A  (^oII-'h  Moulli  Ml   I'wo  VcMiH, 2:52 

A  (!.)U,'«  Moiilluil  'I'w..  ;iiul  Onr  lliilf  Y.'MiH 2,'!;! 

A  CoII'h  Month  111  'IMirno  Ymirs, ~',V,\ 

A  ('oIThJiivv  III. 'I'hrtio  YriirH, 2;M 

A  llorsn's  .)ii\v  III   I'our  Ycmim, 2.'>  I 

A  llorHi''H  Moiilli  111,  l'"oiir  Yfiiiw '2'M') 

A  lloiWrt  Mouth  III.  l'"oiir  ami  ( )iu'  lliiir  YoiiiH, 2.')r) 

Tho  Muutli  at    Kivo  Years, 'i'M\ 

'V\u'  MuiitliiitSix  YiMiM, 2;U) 

■|'1..>  Moiilli  at  Sfvcii  Y.'iiis, 2;i7 

'ri.,-  Mui.ll.  at  I'li-lit  Y.«ais 2a7 

'I'lu'  Mouth  ill    Twfiily  Ycais 2;>S 

The  Moiitli  at    I'liiity   Years, "JliS 

I'lllliilK  a   Horse's    I'eeth UK) 

Sillies  1,(1  I'leveiit  liilerl'eiin;.',  ami  ( )verreaeliiiij,', '2li 

A   Koot  Shod  for  (j>ii!irler  Craek  or  liad  Corn 'J-lli 

A  Foot  Slioil  for  Too  or  Sand  dark, '217 

A   Drivini;  or  Saddh'  Morse's  l''oot   rro|ierly  Shod, 'JIS 

A  'l"oe  'l'i|., -J  111 

lOlleels  ..f  th<- Soaking 'I'nl. '2h() 

A  Koot.  After  a  Ijoiik  Cainpainii  on  tlie 'riirf, 2ri2 

(ih>iiMon'rt  II  Oiinee  Shoi' Uf).'? 

A   I'lMleel   l'"oot 2r)r) 

A    I'oot  I'erleetly  Shod •.:.,(•. 

MoiMlon'm^  the  Cornel  of  the   l''oot, UliO 

A  Too  WoiKlit  Slioe, •Jl'.2 

Noi\  Paddlinu;  Shoo 2(;2 

A  l'\.ot  Keaily  for  the  Shoe 2l!;'> 

Front  \'ie\v  of  Seoo|.  Toe  Shoe 'Jli.S 


I'AdK 

A  Hind  Foot  Shoe  for  Uolliiig  Motion, 2(ui 

Side- VVoigiit  Slioe  lor  Hind  Foot,      2(53 

The  Charlior  Tip 2G4 

Right  iind  Wrong  Fitting, 204 

Sonnd  and  Contracted  Feet, 2(>ri 

Nail  Driving 265 

(^iiarter-Crack  and  Remedies, 20(5 

Foundered  Feet, 2(57 

Ring  Bone  and  Navicular  Disease, 2().S 

A  Sling  in  Use ;{28 

Position  of  Heart  and  Diaphragm, 388 

Position  of  the  Left  Lung, 356 

Medal  I'resented  to  I'rofessor  Gleason  by  the  Mayor  of  ISutl'alo,  N.  Y.,    .   .  433 


FITLT^-PACE  LITHOGRAPHIC  PLATES. 


Anatomy  of  the  Horse's  Foot, 260 

Tlie  Superficial  Layer  of  Museles, 274 

The  C'ireulatory  Apparatus,     .    .        290 

The  Digestive  Apparatus, 320 

FULL- PAGE  HALE-TONE  POUTKAITS. 

I'Mying  Jih,  2.05:{,  hy  Algona-Middletown  Mare, 467 

Martha  Wilkes,  2.08,  by  Alcyone-Klla, 461 

Maseol,  2.01,  hy  Deceivc-Miss  Elmore 465 

N'ladiinir,  I'ereheron-Nornian  Hraiigiit  Horse, 4(il) 

Nancy  Hanks,  2.01,  hy  Happy  Medium-Nancy  Jice  (showing  ball-bearing, 

pncuMiatic  tired  sulky\ 473 

Maud   S.,    the   late  C^ueen  of  the  Turf  (showing   old    style  wooden   racing 

sulky) 477 

Morello,  Winner  of  the  Futurity  Stakes,  1802, 481 


History  of  the  Horse. 


From  the  earliest  ages  this  noble  animal  has  been  the  friend 
and  companion  of  man.  Prized  for  his  beauty,  loved  for  his 
docility,  and  valued  for  his  strength,  he  has  ever  been  regarded 
as  the  highest  in  value  and  importance  of  all  domesticated 
animals.  In  the  remotest  ages,  as  far  back  as  authentic  history 
discloses  anything  of  the  life  and  pursuits  of  man,  we  find  that 
the  horse  occupied  a  prominent  position  in  his  service.  Painters 
have  pictured  on  their  canvass  the  majesty  and  grace  of  the 
spirited  animal.  Poets  have  celebrated  his  strength  and  beauty 
in  their  verses,  and  even  inspired  writers  have  introduced 
amongst  their  most  glowing  descriptions  the  horsemen  and 
chariots  which  formed  a  chief  feature  in  the  pomp  and  magnifi- 
cence of  those  early  days. 

In  the  most  ancient  hieroglyphics  we  find  him  present,  and 
always  so  represented  as  to  show  that,  even  in  the  remote  an- 
tiquity from  which  they  date,  he  had  been  brought  into  com- 
plete and  serviceable  subjection.  In  the  oldest  Egyptian  paint- 
ings the  horse  is  seen  only  in  the  war  chariot,  and  in  the  de- 
scriptions of  the  siege  of  Troy  only  the  Charioteer  appears, 
from  which  it  has  been  supposed  that  the  first  horses  used  by 
the  Greeks  were  too  small  to  be  conveniently  ridden.  But  in 
the  lately-discovered  paintings  in  the  palace  of  Nimrod,  at  Nine- 
veh, disinterred  by  Layard,  and  supposed  to  be  more  than  three 
thousand  years  old,  horsemen  are  exhibited  both  in  the  chase 
and  in  war. 

But  further  back  than  even  those  distant  times,  in  the  ages 


Intelligence  of  the  Horse. 


In  discussing  the  intelligence  of  animals  I  am  aware  that 
many  persons,  at  the  outset,  would  question  the  propriety  of 
the  term.  Man  has  so  long  arrogated  the  exclusive  possession 
of  mind,  or  at  least  of  a  mind  capable  of  rational  reflection,  that 
he  is  reluctant  to  concede  the  fact  of  its  possession  by  the  lower 
orders  of  animal  life.  Those  acts  which,  in  the  brute  creation, 
seem  to  proceed  from  the  action  of  powers  analagous  to  human 
intelligence,  it  has  been  usual  to  ascribe  to  an  irrational  faculty 
called  instinct ;  a  power  invariable  and  despotic  in  its  action, 
but  in  no  degree  the  result  of  reflection ;  some  metaphysicians 
even  going  so  far  as  to  assert  that  the  action  of  animals  is 
purely  automatic,  the  difference  in  this  respect  between  them 
and  the  automaton  moved  by  wires  and  springs  being  that  the 
former  possess  a  consciousness  of  their  acts,  while  the  latter 
does  not.  Facts  in  myriads,  exist  which  challenge  the  correct- 
ness of  such  a  theory,  while  in  almost  number  they  assert  the 
existence,  at  least  in  its  embryonic  state,  of  a  mind  capable  of 
thought,  and,  to  a  limited  degree,  of  reflection  and  comparision, 
with  the  ability  to  deduce  conclusions  from  the  facts  which  it 
considers. 

This  intelligence  varies  greatly  in  the  different  animal  races, 
in  some  species  being  barely  perceptible,  while  in  others  it  is 
too  conspicuous  to  be  ignored ;  and  between  individuals  of  the 
same  species  there  exists  a  difference  so  marked  that,  in  the 
more  favored  ones  which  come  under  our  observation,  the  in- 


—16- 

telligence  is  so  clear  as  to  almost  startle  us  by  the  feeling  that 
behind  the  full,  liquid  eye  of  the  horse,  or  prompting  the  fixed 
gaze  bent  on  us  by  our  trusty  canine  companion,  there  may  be 
a  mind  kindred  to  our  own  and  which  lacks  only  the  power  of 
articulate  expression  to  respond  to  our  thoughts  by  answering 
sentiments.  It  is  the  absence  of  the  power  of  speech  in  animals 
which  leaves  us  in  doubt  as  to  the  exact  degree  of  intelligence 
possessed  by  them.  If,  when  the  farmer  says,  "Carlo !  the  cows 
are  in  the  corn— turn  them  out!"  the  dog  should  turn  his  head 
and  reply,  "  Yes,  sir,  I'll  have  them  out  in  a  moment !"  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  the  intelligent  interchange  of  thought. 
But  the  fact  of  his  doing  that  which  in  the  supposed  case  he 
would  express,  proves  as  conclusively  his  comprehension  of  the 
command  and  his  purpose  to  obey. 

The  horse  or  dog,  however  fully  he  may  understand  the  direc- 
tions he  receives,  can  give  no  other  response  than  by  his  acts, 
and  to  words  of  praise  or  censure  he  can  reply  only  by  signs ; 
these  are  clearly  understood  by  us  and  show  that  our  meaning 
is  comprehended  by  the  animal,  proving  a  real  interchange  of 
thought.  A  popular  author  has  said.  "A  dog  may  bark,  a 
horse  may  neigh,  but  it  not  by  these  sounds  that  they  express 
the  delicate  shades  of  ever- varying  emotion ;  it  is  by  a  thousand 
varieties  of  gesture  which  few  of  us  indeed  can  analyze  but 
which  all  clearly  understand.  A  dog  converses  with  his  master 
by  means  of  his  eyes  and  his  ears  and  his  tail,  nay  by  every 
muscle  of  his  body." 

To  test  the  existence  and  extent  of  intelligence  we  must  deter- 
mine the  capacity  for  comprehending  thought.  We  recog- 
nize this  capacity  in  a  child  long  before  it  can  express  itself  in 
language.  Its  dawn  is  seen  as  the  infant  learns  to  associate  cer- 
tain articulate  sounds  with  certain  persons,  acts,  or  things,  and 
to  distinguish  the  meaning  of  tones  which  encourage,  restrain 
or  chide  it.  It  is  only  after  a  twelve-month  or  more  of  constant 
tuition,  lovingly  and  intelligently  given,  that  our  children  begin 
to  express  in  language  the  thoughts  which  are  awakened  by  our 
w^ords  and  acts,  yet  the  comprehension  is  as  evident  and  the  re- 
sponse as  apparent  before  that  time,  for  the  whole  mental  pro- 


Educating  the  Horse. 


New  Method  of  Haltering  a  Vicious  or  Wild  Colt. 


New  ]!||[etliod  of  Haltering  a  Vicious  Colt. 


Having  directed  my  attention  for  many  years  to  compiling  a 
system  of  educating  the  horse,  and  traveling  over  twenty-five 
States  of  the  Union,  together  with  nearly  all  the  cities  and 
towns  in  the  Provinces  of  Ontario  and  Quebec,  during  the  past 
eight  years,  it  is  highly  improbable  that  few,  if  any,  men  are 


—  27- 

necessity  for  air  on  the  part  of  the  horse,  banishes  his  former 
feeling  of  sulkiness  or  anger  and  he  yields  to  the  almost  irresist- 
ible impulse  to  spring  to  his  feet  and  free  his  nostrils  of  the 
water. 

If  any  one  who  has  never  applied  this  remedy  should  doubt 
its  power,  he  only  needs  to  try  the  experiment  in  a  mild  way  on 
himself,  when  he  will  realize  its  power  upon  the  horse. 

I  believe  it  would  be  impossible  to  devise  another  method  so 
free  from  pain,  so  harmless  to  the  horse,  and  yet  so  thoroughly 
efl&cacious  as  is  the  one  here  given. 

To  Educate  a  Colt  to  Drive  before  being  Harnessed. 

Place  on  him  the  Bonaparte  bridle,  as  shown  in  engraving, 
with  your  cord  in  the  left  hand  and  whip  in  the  right ;  the  cord 
referred  to  should  be  about  eighteen  feet  long ;  now  drive  him 
around  a  circle  to  the  right  about  fifteen  minutes ;  then  drive 
him  to  the  left  about  the  same  time.  You  have  now  educated 
your  colt  to  drive,  and  may  with  safety  put  on  your  harness, 
observing  to  put  the  reins  through  the  shaft  tugs  at  his  side ; 
then  commence  driving  him  carefully  for  some  fifteen  minutes 
on  a  walk,  turning  him  to  the  right  and  left  as  before  directed. 
Do  not  use  the  whip  more  than  sufficient  to  give  him  a  knowl- 
edge of  its  use.  I^ever  drive  a  colt  without  blinders.  It  is  bet- 
ter to  first  hitch  him  to  a  sulky  or  a  cart,  and  do  not  put  on 
breechings,  but  allow  the  cross-bar  frequently  to  come  against 
his  heels,  so  that  he  may  never  be  afraid,  or  learn  to  kick.  Never 
forget,  when  your  colt  is  obedient,  to  stop  him,  and  walk  up  to 
and  caress  him. 

I  am  unwilling  to  pass  on  to  another  article  without  more 
fully  impressing  on  the  minds  of  those  who  raise  or  break 
colts  the  necessity  of  kind  and  careful  usage  in  educating  their 
animals.  Never  approach  your  colt  quickly.  Never  pull  the 
halter  or  bridle  off"  quickly.  Always  handle  the  colt's  ears  with 
great  care.  Never  punish  him  on  the  body  with  anything  but  a 
whip,  and  with  it  as  seldom  as  possible,  as  many  colts  become 
sulky  and  show  signs  of  balking  when  severely  whipped.  It  is 
better  that  you  should  give  your  colt  two  or  three  lessons  each 


-28- 
day,  as  heretofore  directed,  at  intervals  of  say  two  hours  apart 
by  this  means  you  do  not  overtax  his  brain  nor  cause  him  to  get 
weary.     In  this,  as  in  many  other  cases,  the  wisest  course  is  to 
"  make  haste  slowly." 

How  to  Educate  a  Colt  to  Move  his  Body  when  he 
Moves  his  Head. 

Place  on  the  bridle,  then  the  harness ;  carry  the  reins 
through  the  shaft  tug ;  take  j'our  position  behind  the  horse  (see 
engravings)  ;  now  commence  to  drive,  turning  him  around  fre- 
quently, first  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left,  and  he  will  quickly 
understand  to  move  his  body  when  he  moves  his  head.  By  this 
means  you  are  educating  to  the  shafts,  and  educating  not  to  be 
afraid  of  his  heels,  thus  thoroughly  breaking  your  horse  at  both 
sides  and  both  ends. 


Educating  a  Colt  to  Move  his  ilotly  when  he  Moves  his  Head. 


-31- 

directed,  to  attach  the  appliance  to  the  leg  he  paws  with,  re- 
versing the  straps  when  required,  which  will  give  a  horse  the 


To  Prevent  a  Horse  from  Kicking  or  Pawing  in  the  Stall. 

knowledge  that  when  he  paws  he  punishes  himself,  and  the 
reader  will  see,  by  this  treatment,  the  habit  speedily  broken  up. 

The  habit  of  kicking  in  the  stall  is  one  that  is  not  only  dis- 
agreeable to  the  owner  of  the  horse  addicted  to  it,  but  is  often 
destructive  and  costly,  as  a  horse  viciously  inclined  to  that 
habit  will  sometimes  even  splinter  the  boards  of  the  stall,  and 
with  so  simple  and  effective  a  method  of  correcting  the  bad 
habit  it  should  never  be  tolerated  for  a  single  day,  and  the  pos- 
sessor of  this  book  would  be  inexcusable  should  he  suffer  it  to 
continue  in  any  animal  owned  by  him. 

The  habit  of  pawing  in  the  stall,  though  not  so  vicious  in  its 
nature  as  that  of  kicking,  is  yet  sufficiently  troublesome  and  un- 
pleasant to  deserve  a  speedy  correction,  and  the  owner  of  a 


—32- 

horse  addicted  to  even  the  lastnamed  fault  will  be  more  tlian 
compensated  for  the  slight  trouble  caused  in  its  removal. 

It  may  seem  needless  to  repeat  what  has  before  been  said,  in 
substance,  that  the  seemingly  small  faults  of  a  horse  are  the 
ones  which  most  frequently  lessen  and  impair  his  usefulness,  and 
that  the  removal  of  any  one,  however  trifling,  adds  a  money 
value  to  the  horse  more  than  sufficient  to  compensate  for  the 
time  and  trouble  expended. 

To  Educate  a  Horse  not  to  get  Cast  in  the  Stall. 

Drive  a  staple  in  the  ceiling  over  the  manger  at  the  side  of 
the  stall,  then  another  in  the  ceiling  in  the  center  of  the  stall 


To  Educate  a  Horse  Not  to  Get  Cast  in  the  Stall. 


over  the  horse's  head ;  pass  a  small  cord  through  the  staple  at 
the  side  of  the  stall ;  tie  a  horseshoe,  or  the  weight  of  a  horse- 


-35- 

My  readers  will,  I  doubt  not,  receive  with  kindly  feelings  not 
only  the  instructions  on  the  important  points  of  educating  their 
horses  to  break  off  bad  habits,  but  will  profit  by  the  ideas 
and  examples  given  of  the  various  means  adopted  by  horse- 
handlers  to  create  these  habits.  In  the  present  instance,  it  is 
rarely,  if  ever,  known  that  horses  acquire  the  habit  of  rearing 
themselves,  but  are  prompted  so  to  do  by  the  means  used,  viz., 
starting  and  stopping  suddenly;  pulling  sharply  on  the  reins, 
and  then  striking  the  animal  with  the  whip,  either  of  which  is 
a  sure  and  certain  means  of  producing  the  result  of  causing 
the  horse  to  rear  up  whenever  you  desire  to  move  off. 

The  inconvenience  and  unpleasantness  of  such  a  habit  are  too 
plain  to  need  more  than  a  mention,  besides  its  often  occasioning 
great  alarm  to  a  timid  driver ;  and  the  simple  yet  practical 
means  I  have  given  for  breaking  up  the  habit,  will  be  found  suc- 
C3ssful  whenever  it  is  tried,  as  it  always  should  be  where  the 
habit  exists. 

To  Educate  and  prevent  a  Horse  from  Cribbing. 

Build  a  manger  on  the  floor  or  from  the  floor  up.  In  many 
cases  this  will  prevent  a  horse  from  cribbing  by  getting  his 
mouth  below  his  chest. 

Another  method,  sure  to  be  effective,  is  to  place  a  piece  of  sheep- 
skin of  long  wool,  eight  inches  wide  and  about  three  feet  long, 
or  long  enough  to  reach  from  one  side  of  the  stall  to  the  other 
and  on  the  skin  sprinkle  cayenne  pepper  ;  take  soft  soap  aud  rub 
it  on  any  part  of  the  stall  where  the  horse  will  be  likely  to  crib. 
If  the  above  instructions  are  strictlj^  adhered  to,  and  the  horse  is 
fed  regularly,  three  times  a  day,  there  will  be  little  danger  of  his 
ever  becoming  a  cribber.  The  slight  trouble  which  this  remedy 
involves  will  be  repaid  a  hundred-fold  by  the  satisfaction  felt  in 
the  prevention  or  cure  of  a  most  disagreeable  habit,  and  one 
which,  like  ever}^  other  fault,  lessens  the  value  of  a  horse.  In 
using  the  cayenne  pepper,  a  small  quantity  will  be  sufficient. 

There  are  more  bad  results  accruing  from  cribbing  than  many 
are  aware  of.  From  cribbing  the  horse  may  become  a  crib- 
sucker,  which  often  results  in  colic,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  termed, 


—45- 

and  sometimes  most  brutally,  or  the  more  sickening  custom  of 
procuring  a  bundle  of  straw  or  some  shavings  and  setting  them 
on  fire  under  the  body  of  the  horse.  Such  kinds  of  treatment  I 
utterly  discard,  and  the  reader  will  find,  in  another  part  of  my 
book,  that  1  give  several  methods  which  will  prove  effectual  in 
eradicating  this  habit,  only  meting  out  sufiicient  punishment  to 
secure  obedience. 


m/u/a/^  r.(;/^'^ 


To  Start  a  Balky  Horse. 


Below  I  give  an  excellent  method  of  starting  a  balky  horse,  • 
and  one  which  will  prove  effectual,  though  it  will  not  educate  the 
horse  to  abandon  the  habit.  AVhen  your  horse  balks  get  out  of 
your  carriage,  walk  up  to  him  and  commence  kicking  him  with 
the  toe  of  your  boot  under  the  fetlock  joint,  first  one  then  the 
other  using  the  word  ''shoo !"  loud  and  quick  every  time  you 
kick.  Then  take  your  seat  in  the  carriage  and  use  the  word  as 
before  directed,  when  your  horse  will  start  at  once.  This  process 
diverts  his  attention  and  causes  him  to  move  on. 


Teaching  Horses  Tricks. 


Many  horses  are  susceptible  of  an  education  far  more  exten- 
sive than  is  necessary  for  ordinary  use,  and  for  the  benefit  of 
such  persons  as  may  desire  to  teach  their  horses  something  more 
than  the  usual  accomplishments,  whether  for  their  own  amuse- 
ment, or  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  how  far  the  intelligence  of  the 
animal  can  be  developed,  I  have  prepared  a  description  of  a 
variety  of  tricks,  which,  as  performed  by  my  horses,  have  been 
received  with  universal  applause,  both  in  the  United  States  and 
in  Canada.  But  that  no  person  may  be  misled  into  supposing 
that  this  forms  a  part  of  my  general  system  of  educating  the 
horse,  I  deem  it  proper  to  present  these  directions  separately. 

Though  the  tricks  to  be  hereafter  explained  will  add  nothing 
of  intrinsic  value  to  the  horse,  nor  of  real  benefit  to  his  owner, 
yet  the  reader  will  readily  see  in  them  the  demonstration  of  a 
highly  important  fact,  viz.,  that  horses  can  be  ''"aught  the  meaning 
of  words,  and  to  yield  obedience  to  sounds  to  such  an  extent  as 
to  convince  a  candid  mind  that  their  intelligence  is  far  in  advance 
of  that  generally  attributed  to  them.  With  these  remarks  I  will 
proceed  to  explain  the  viodus  ojyerandi,  as  I  call  attention  to  a 
variety  of  tricks  they  may  easily  be  tauglit  to  perform.  Before 
passing  to  this,  let  me  impress  on  the  reader  some  leading  prin- 
ciples in  educating  the  horse.  First,  never  allow  yourself  to  get 
in  a  hurry  ;  impatience  or  excitement  on  your  part  will  go  far  in 
defeating  the  object  of  your  instructions.  Second,  do  not  pro- 
long your  lessons  bej^ond  twenty  minutes  at  one  time;  and, 
especially,  never  use  severity  beyond  that  which  may  be  ab- 
solutely necessary.  Thus  by  kindness  and  patience  in  repeating 
your  lessons  at  short  intervals,  you  will  surmount  every  dif- 
ficulty and  accomplish  your  purpose  in  a  manner  satisfactory  to 
yourself. 


-52- 

not  only  to  get  up  on  the  vehicle  but  to  push  it  in  front  of  him. 
After  your  horse  has  been  thoroughly  taught,  you  will  discover 
that  he  is  delighted  to  amuse  you,  and  he  will  appear  pleased  to 
participate  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  trick. 

How  to  Make  a  Horse  go  Lame. 

Tap  him  on  the  fore-leg  till  he  holds  it  up,  then  caress  him 
kindl}^ ;  lead  him  with  the  left  hand  to  the  bit,  and  tap  the  left 
fore-leg  with  a  stick  in  your  right  hand;  repeat  the  word  "lame 
lame,  lame,"  and  j^our  horse  will  soon  learn  to  hold  up  one  leg  at 
the  command. 

To  Educate  the  Horse  to  Walk  on  his  Hind.  Feet. 

Make  the  Bonaparte  bridle,  and  put  it  on  your  horse ;  also  put 
on  a  bitting  rig,  which  is  no  trouble,  but  necessary,  draw- 
ing his  head  pretty  well  up  and  in.  Now  stand  near  his  head 
with  bridle  in  hand,  and  jerk  upward,  as  though  you  desired  to 
lift  him  up,  at  the  same  time  repeating  the  words,  "stand  up  on 
your  hind  feet !"  repeat  this  several  times,  and  if  he  docs  not 
make  a  move  to  please  you,  take  hold  of  one  leg,  raising  him  up 
with  one  hand  and  using  the  bridle  with  the  other,  as  before 
directed,  not  forgetting  to  caress  him  if  he  makes  the  slightest 
move  in  the  direction  of  obedience.  In  order  to  ensure  success, 
kindness  and  patience  should  be  the  ruling  principles.  After  you 
have  taught  your  horse  to  stand  on  his  hind  feet  you  will  next 
educate  him  to  walk  upright.  This  can  be  easily  done  by  observing 
the  following  directions.  Stand  in  front  of  him,  whip  in  hand,  say- 
ing, "Get  up  I"  then  shake  the  whip  in  front  of  him,  stepping  back- 
wards slowly,  at  the  same  time  say  to  him,  "Come  here  !"  repeat- 
ing it  sharply  and  touching  him  gently  with  the  whip  on  the 
knees.  By  carefully  observingthe  above  directions,  j^ou  will  quickly 
teach  your  horse  to  stand  upright,  and  to  walk  on  his  hind  feet. 

How  to  Make  a  Horse  Say  "No." 

Prick  him  on  the  neck  at  the  terminus  of  the  mane  till  he 
shakes  his  head,  then  remove  the  pin,  caress  him,  repeat  for  a 
while,  and  your  horse  will  soon  shake  his  head  when  you  raise 


How  To  Buy. 


.    Get  Correct  Information. 

Every  horse  owner  sooner  or  later  becomes  a  judge  of  what  he 
is  buying.  If  he  depends  entirely  upon  the  lessons  learned 
through  cheats  are  practiced  upon  him  by  sharp  jockeys,  life  is 
too  short  for  him  ever  to  become  an  adept  in  distinguishing  vice, 
unsoundness,  "  dosed  up"  and  used  up  horses  as  among  the 
various  tricks  and  swindles  practiced  upon  the  ignorant  and 
unwar3^  Generally  after  being  cheated,  or  absolutely  swindled 
a  few  times,  the  breeder  goes  to  the  only  coi-rect  source  of  infor- 
mation, concisely  written  and  carefully  illustrated  books.  He 
is  thus  enabled  not  only  to  study,  but  subsequently  to  carry  in  his 
mind  what  he  has  read  and  seen ;  he  comes  to  compare  critically 
the  living  animal  with  the  illustrations  and  descriptions,  and 
thus  becomes  an  expert  himself,  and  in  a  tenth  part  of  the  time 
by  which  he  could  acquire  correct  information  in  any  other  way. 
This  is  precisely  the  means  used  by  any  professional  man  in  the 
acquisition  of  true  knowledge  in  the  pursuit  of  his  profession, 
whether  it  be  in  a  learned  profession  or  in  the  education  to  prac- 
tical art.     Thereafter  practice  makes  perfect. 

II.    The  Buyer. 

Suppose  he  is  looking  for  stock  from  whicli  to  breed  trotting 
horses.  He  must  then  consider  the  t^-pe  of  horse  he  wishes  to 
breed  ;  whether  for  speed  alone,  or  for  style  and  speed.  That 
is,  first  class  road  horses,  or  large,  strong,  able  horses,  com- 
bining in  as  great  a  degree  as  may  be  large  size,  strength,  endu- 
rance and  such  style  as  may  be  conformable  with  this  class  of 
horses. 


-58  — 

1200  pouuds,  ma}^  be  called  a  general  utility  horse.  Such  will  com- 
mand ready  sale  at  any  time,  if  well  bi'oken  and  trained,  say  at 
from  $200  to  $300  each,  and  if  particularly  nice  and  well  matched, 
often  at  $800  or  $900  a  pair,  as  carriage  horses  when  five  or  six 
years  old. 

III.    Proportions  of  tlie  Horse. 


■'  ■ " '  1 1' '  "■ 


iTiches 
90         100 


PROPORTIONS    OF   THE   VARIOUS    PARTS. 

To  arrive  at  a  clear  understanding  of  the  proportions  of  the 
horse,  we  give  an  outline  that  will  be  a  good  study,  not  only  for 
the  beginner,  but  will  be  valuable  for  reference  for  any  horse- 
man, however  expert  he  may  be.  ^.  This  illustration  combines  the 
average  measurements  of  six  horses,  accepted  for  perfect  symme- 
try, and  taken,  says  one  of  the  most  graphic  and  lucid  of  writers 
on  the  horse — two  of  them  from  celebrated  stallions,  two  fi-om 
thoroughbred  hunters,  and  two  from  chargers  of  great  value. 
This,  therefore,  will  joot  apply  to  draft  horses,  but  it  will  be 


—  59  — 

found  that  the  nearer  the  general   utility  horse  comes   to  these 
measurements,  the  better  he  will  be. 

INCHES. 
Height , 63 

Length  from  shoulder-point  to  quarter 66 

From  the  lowest  part  of  the  chest  to  the  ground 36 

From  the  elbow-point  to  the  ground 39 

From  the  withers  to  the  pole,  just  behind  the  ears,  in  a  straii^ht  line. .  30 

The  same  measured  along  the  crest 32 

Length  of  head , 22 

Width  across  the  forehead 9  1-2 

From  the  withers  to  the  hip 22 

From  the  stifle  to  the  point  of  the  hock,  in  the  attitude  shown  in 

the  plan 29 

From  the  root  of  the  tail  to  the  stifle-joint 26 

From  the  point  of  the  hock  to  the  ground 22  1-2 

Length  of  arm  from  the  elbow  to  the  pisiform  bone  (the  rear  bone  of 

those  forming  the  upper  articulation  of  the  knee) 19  1-2 

From  the  pisiform  bone  to  the  ground  19  1-2 

Girth  varies  from 78  to  79 

Circumference    of    fore-cannon  bone    (large   metacarpel  or    shank 

bone,    extending  from  the  knee  to  the  fetlock) 

7  1-2,  8,  8,  8,  8  1-2  and  9 

Circumference  of  arm  just  below  the  elbow 16  1-2  to  18 

The  foregoing  is  not  to  be  taken  as  a  fixed  rule  in  comparing 
ordinary  horses,  nor  even  those  well-bred.  For  the  hunting 
field,  the  fine  saddle  horse,  or  any  of  the  uses  to  which  j)ractical 
men  put  their  horses,  aside  from  flat  racing,  select  as  many  of  the 
superior  points  of  the  horse  as  described,  as  you  can  find,  and 
beware  of  low  withers  and  high  croup.  The  horse  that  will 
come  to  the  standard  that  we  have  given  in  the  diagram,  is  as 
a  rule  the  horse  to  buy. 

IV.    The  Cleveland  Bay  for  Profit. 

Of  late  years  this  admirable  and  stylish  horse  as  improved 
from  the  old  farm  horse  of  fifty  years  ago,  has  attracted  attention 
in  the  United  States,  and  especially  in  the  West,  where  many 
fair  specimens  have  been  imported.  He  often  has  dashes  of 
white  which   do  not   detract  from  the  style  of  any  horse,  and 


-62- 

The  next  step  was  putting  the  half-breed  fillies,  by  thorough- 
breds out  of  Cleveland  Bay  mares,  a  second  time  to  thorough-bred 
stallions  ;  their  progeny  to  become  the  hunters,  while  themselves 
and  their  brothers  were  lowered  into  the  carriage  horses ;  and 
the  half-bred  stallions  which  had  been  the  getters  of  carriage 
horses  were  degraded  into  the  sires  of  the  new,  improved  cart 
horse. 

V.  The  Light  Harness  Horse. 

In  many  cases,  where  the  roads  are  superior,  and  the  animal 
is  used  in  a  vehicle  of  the  lightest  construction,  to  carry  only  one 
person,  size  is  not  always  necessary.  Very  many  horses  of  four- 
teen and  a  half  hands,  are  exquisitely  handsome  and  capable  of 
very  fast  work.  One  of  the  best  I  ever  knew  was  a  St.  Law- 
rence mare  fourteen  hands  high,  that  very  few  large  horses  could 
get  by  on  a  smooth  road — the  "  Baby,"  as  she  was  called — when 
driven  on  a  track,  always  going  as  a  pacer. 

VI.  Saddle  Horses  of  all  Gaits. 

It  is  well  that  America's  sons  have  taken  kindly  to  the  sad- 
dle. It  is  well  enough  for  men  of  mature  age  to  favor  the  buggy 
or  light  wagon,  but  every  young  man  and  woman  who  can, 
should  learn  to  sit  a  horse  perfectly,  and  to  manage  him  at  all 
gaits.  In  the  South  this  is  the  case,  but  in  the  North  the  per- 
fect saddle-seated  rider  is  not  so  frequently  found.  Lately,  thor- 
oughly trained  saddle  horses  are  much  sought  after  in  our  cities, 
and  certainly  there  is  no  place  where  they  may  be  so  perfectly 
trained  as  in  the  West.  It  would  oe  well  for  the  farmer  to 
have  at  least  one  well  trained  saddle  horse  to  sell  when  called 
for.  Twelve  months  training  will  put  them  in  form.  For  good 
wear-and-tear,  compact,  able  as  a  good  leaper,  of  fine  form,  and 
undoubted  bottom  for  any  distance,  the  illustration  showing  a 
saddle  horse  of  good  form,  will  give  an  idea  of  what  a  saddle 
horse  should  be. 

VII.    The  High-bred  Hunting  Horse. 

When  a  long  stride,  great  leaping  powers,  and  ability  to  go 
long  distances  at  high  speed  is  required,  the  horse  should  be  not 
less  than  one-half  to  three-quarters  bred.      A  greater  propor- 


-65- 
X.  To  Avoid  Vices  and  Defects.— How  to  Detect. 

They  are  legion-  and  he  who  at  present  buys  any  horse, 
whether  for  speed  or  work  must  be  on  his  guard  against  them. 
Among  the  principal  disabilities  to  be  guarded  against  are : 

1.  Bone  spavin,  curb,  ring-bone  and  splints. — To  detect 
these  look  at  the  horse  from  before  and  behind  for  spavin  and 
curb  at  the  hocks;  for  ring-bone,  at  the  fetlocks  and  for 
splints,  below  the  knee.  Feel  the  bones  at  all  these  parts  for  ten- 
derness or  enlargement.  If  they  appear  reject  the  horse  in- 
stantly.    He  will  be  worthless  as  a  sire,  or  for  riding  or  driving. 

2.  Stumbling. — Examine  the  knees  to  find  if  they  are  scarred 
or  show  the  marks  of  previous  injuriQs,  or  that  have  been 
operated  upon  for  collosities.  Then  walk  him  over  somewhat 
rough  ground,  and  at  a  slow  pace,  with  an  entirely  loose  rein,  to 
see  if  he  trips  or  goes  weaker  on  one  leg  than  on  the  other.  If 
he  is  a  stumbler,  he  is  the  most  dangerous  animal  a  man  can 
own,  unless  it  be  a  kicker ;  in  fact,  more  so  than  the  latter,  since 
kicking  maj^  be  guarded  against,  when  knowing  the  vice. 

3.  Kicking. — If  this  is  suspected,  the  animal  will  lay  back 
his  ears  if  approached  in  an  apparently  careless  manner,  though 
horses  do  this  sometimes  from  mere  playfulness.  If  they  are 
vicious,  they  will  lay  their  ears  more  completely  back,  and  the 
eyes  will  also  denote  their  intention.  Examine  the  stall  where 
it  is  known  they  have  stood  for  marks  of  the  hoofs,  and  above 
all,  give  the  animal  a  chance  to  show  his  propensity  when  the 
groom  is  not  near. 

4.  Pulling  at  the  halter  or  bridle  when  tied.— Tie  him 
up  in  a  close  yard,  with  a  halter  he  can  easily  break,  leaving  him 
quite  alone  for  about  half  an  hour,  to  exhibit  his  propensity  if  he 
will. 

5.  Crib-biting. — If  the  horse  is  a  confirmed  crib-biter,  his 
teeth — the  central  incisors — will  show  wear  where  he  has  grasped 
objects  to  enable  him  to  get  leverage  to  perform  the  operation. 
Tie  him  out  to  a  stump,  or  at  a  post  about  three  feet  high,  and 
watch  him,  no  person  being  in  his  sight. 

6.  Balking  and  backing. — Horses  seldom  balk  under  the 
saddle,  when  they  do,  they  are  dangerous  in  the  extreme,  often 


-67- 

11.  Blindness. — This  is  sometimes  difficult  to  detect  by  the 
ordinary  observer  by  looking  at  the  eyes.  In  rare  cases  the 
eyes  may  seem  natural.  A  blind  horse,  however,  may  be  detected 
by  his  mode  of  progression.  He  will  take  high  steps  and  often 
appear  afraid  to  proceed. 

XI.    Other  Faults  and  Imperfections. 

The  disabilities  noticed  in  the  previous  sections  are  those 
of  positive  unsoundness,  or  else  of  determined  vice.  Some 
others  that  should  not  be  overlooked,  are  easily  examined  by 
careful  examination  and  test.     These  are  : 

1.  Glass  Eye.— This,  if  not  complicated  with  specific  disease, 
does  not  interfere  with  sight  in  any  respect.  It  is  a  serious 
defect,  simply  so  far  as  looks  are  concerned.  Usually  only  one 
eye  has  this  peculiar  white  glassy  appearance,  the  pupil  perfect, 
and  the  iris  quite  natural.  It  should  affect  the  price  of  the  ani- 
mal, only  as  detracting  from  elegance. 

2.  White  Spot. — Sometimes  a  small  white  spot  will  appear 
on  the  eye  of  a  young  horse,  generally  after  three  years  of  age, 
and  usually  near  the  outer  corner.  It  has  a  peculiar  cloudy 
appearance,  sometimes  increasing  to  the  size  of  a  hemp  seed,  and 
occasionally  larger.  The  duration  is  variable,  sometimes  lasting 
for  years,  and  again  disappearing  in  a  short  time.  It  really 
impairs  the  vision  but  little,  if  any.  Unless  its  history  is  known 
a  veterinary  surgeon  should  decide  whether  it  is  incipient  cata- 
ract or  not.  Some  veterinarians  have  termed  it  spurious  cataract, 
but  this  is  entirely  a  misnomer.  The  name  white  spot  describes 
it  perfectly. 

3.  Roaring.— This  is  the  result  of  obstruction  in  some  part 
of  the  larynx  or  trachea,  impeding  the  breath,  and  causing  a 
peculiar  roaring  sound  when  the  animal  is  in  motion.  It  is  rarely 
found  in  the  United  States,  being  chiefly  confined  to  draft  horses. 
It  is  often  the  result  of  chronic  cough.  In  England  it  is  quite 
common,  and  when  present  in  a  horse  of  fast  work,  will  render 
him  worthless  for  the  road.  It  may  be  discovered  by  urging  the 
horse  to  a  fast  gait. 


-71- 

For  single  or  double  light  driving,  all  distinct  colors  are 
good.  Uneven  or  curiously  marked  horses  are  allowable  in  a 
fancy  team — as  a  mu  match  in  distinct  colors — as  it  is  called. 
The  colors  should  be  distinct  and  in  strong  contrast,  or  els6 
harmonious.  A  chestnut  and  a  dark  bay  would  be  harmonious, 
and  yet  distinct  colors.  So  would  be  a  chestnut  and  a  brown  ; 
a  cream  with  white  mane  and  tail,  and  a  chestnut  with  dark 
mane  and  tail  would  show  a  marked  contrast,  and  yet  be  ele- 
gant; so  would  be  cream-colored  horses  so  marked.  A  pure 
white  and  a  jet  black  would  be  the  most  marked  contrast  possi- 
ble, and  not  for  a  moment  admissable,  except  both  were  faultless 
in  form  and  style  of  going.  Here  in  fact  is  where  the  fine  art 
lies  in  teams  of  two  distinct  colors :  Whatever  the  mismatch  in 
color,  the  team  should  be  as  near  alike  in  form  and  carriage  as 
possible. 

XIV.    Action. 

There  are  really  but  two  styles  of  action :  low,  smooth,  safe 
action,  and  high-stepping,  showy  action.  The  latter  of  little 
account  except  for  parade  and  showing  oflF  on  the  road  in  con- 
nection with  fine  style.  A  high-stepping  colt  is  as  unsafe  as  he 
ungainly.  The  action  that  is  slow  and  safe,  and  fast  and  safe,  if 
combined  In  an  animal  is  invaluable. 

A  horse  with  really  good  action  moves  all  his  limbs  evenly, 
and  brings  his  hind  legs  well  under  him  at  every  movement. 
Some  horses  with  round  action  in  front — paddlers  they  are 
called — are  often  staunch  and  sure-footed,  but  this  in  spite  of  this 
action,  not  in  consequence  of  it.  Horses  that  straddle  behind 
are  often  exceedingly  fast  trotters.  Yet  neither  of  these  move- 
ments are  what  would  be  sought,  either  in  a  fine  saddle  horse 
or  in  a  good  harness  horse. 

XV.    Past- walking  Horses. 

I  have  before  stated  that  a  perfect  and  fast  walking  gait 
is  not  only  indispensable  to  every  horse,  but  the  most  valuable 
gait  a  horse  could  have  for  every  day  use.  Yet  we  seldom  see  a 
horse  that  will  walk  four  and  a  half  or  five  miles  an  hour,  even 


How  to  Feed,  Water  and  Groom. 


I.    Laying  the  Foundation. 

The  feeding  of  horses  must  be  either  simple  or  complex  ac- 
cording to  the  circumstances  under  which  they  are  placed  <aiid 
the  nature  of  the  work  required  of  them.  It  would,  for  in- 
stance, be  as  foolish  with  the  farm  or  ordinary  work  horse  to 
pamper  with  fire-warmed  stables,  highly  stimulating  food,  and 
exquisite  grooming,  together  with  all  the  paraphernalia  of 
blankets,  hoods,  bandages  for  the  legs,  and  necessities  of  the 
trotting  or  racing  stable,  as  it  would  be  to  allow  this  latter  class 
to  receive  only  the  same  care  and  attention  usually  bestowed  up- 
on the  team  kept  solely  for  the  plow  and  other  drudgery  of  the 
farm.  At  the  same  time  the  extremes  to  which  horses  are  sub- 
ject, either  in  the  farm  or  racing  stables,  might  well  be  modified 
in  very  many  cases  to  the  health  and  well  being  either  of  the 
farm  horse  or  the  pampered  and  high-bred  racer.  That  is  to  say, 
racers  are  often  *'  drawn  down  "  to  fine,  and  the  ordinary  work 
horse  too  often  suffers  from  neglect.  Thus  in  the  first  class  we 
see  a  number  of  diseases  seldom  shown  in  the  stables  of  horses 
with  sufficient  care,  while  the  stables  of  horses  carefully  kept 
seldom  suff'er  with  the  class  of  diseases  found  when  horses  are 
allowed  to  go  dirty  from  day  to  day,  and  often  from  week  to 
week. 

To  commence  at  the  beginning,  the  breeder  who  would  suc- 
ceed with  any  class  of  horses,  should  see  that  the  mare,  while 
carrying  the  foal,  has  sufficient  food  and  shelter,  and  that  the 
foal  itself  is  sufficient  nourished  during  the  period  Oi  growth. 
Nothing  is  gained  by  insufficient  sheltei  and  food,  whatever  the 
use  for  which  the  animal  is  intended,  and  this  brings  us  to  the 
question  of  the  food  itself, 


—ve- 
il.   What  to  Peed. 

In  the  West  the  feed  of  all  horses  of  whatever  class  is  oats, 
Indian  corn,  bran  and  hay.  Whatever  the  work  to  be  done, 
bran  shoiild  always  be  kept,  since  a  horse  being  off  his  feed,  or 
slightly  ailing  from  any  cause  not  indicative  of  violent  disease, 
bran  mashes  with  good  nursing  will  bring  him  out  all  right  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten.  So,  in  the  Winter  when  horses  are  con- 
fined to  hard  food,  a  bran-mash  once  a  week  should  be  given. 
On  the  farm  there  is  nothing  better  than  an  occasional  feed  of 
roots— carrots,  Swedish  turnips,  or  mangel  wurtzel — being  valu- 
able in  the  order  named.  If  a  peck  of  these  could  be  given 
daily  as  an  evening  or  noonday  meal,  the  good  effects  of  this 
feeding  would  be  quickly  shown.  For  the  mares  before  foaling 
time,  for  the  farm  or  draft  horse,  for  the  carriage  horses  of  the 
citizen,  and  even  for  the  fast  driven  roadster,  or  racer,  when  not 
being  driven  to  exhaustive  work,  these  will  be  found  valuable. 

The  foal  itself  shouki  be  learned  to  eat  roots  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, and  if  the  mare  takes  kindly  to  them  it  will  not  be  a  diffi. 
cult  matter  for  the  foal  to  learn  to  eat  them.  As  to  the  other 
food  of  the  young  colt  or  fill}^  oats  alone  with  grass  or  hay,  ac- 
cording to  the  season,  should  be  allowed.  In  the  Winter,  half 
oats  and  half  corn  may  be  given  with  benefit,  unless  the  young 
things  are  intended  for  racing  or  trotting,  and  are  kept  in  warm 
stables ;  then  Indian  corn  would  not  be  desirable,  as  being  too 
heating  under  the  circumstances. 

For  the  ordinary  farm  team,  or  other  horses  of  slow  work,  In- 
dian corn  may  be  the  main  dependence  in  Winter,  in  connection 
with  good  hay ;  especially  so  if  a  few  roots  can  be  allowed  as  a 
portion  of  the  daily  provender.  For  fast  working  horses,  sound 
oats  and  hay  will  be  the  priciple  dependence,  but  in  the  Winter 
I  have  always  given  one-third  of  the  weight  of  the  daily  grain 
ration  in  Indian  corn,  and  we  have  always  thought,  with  decided 
benefit. 

III.    When  to  Feed. 

The  importance  of  strict  regularity  in  feeding  is  underesti- 
mated by  nine-tenths  of  the  ordinary  feeders,  and  by  fully  one- 
half  of  the  stablemen  having  the  care  of  well  bred  horses.     The 


-77- 

horse,  for  wliatever  purpose  lie  is  used,  if  actively  employed, 
should  not  get  less  than  three  feeds  a  day,  besides  the  hay  he 
eats  during  the  night.  All  fast  working  horses  should  have 
four  feeds  a  day.  The  hours  of  feeding  are  of  prime  import- 
ance. These  should  be,  as  closely  as  possible,  at  six  in  the 
morning,  at  noon,  and  at  six  at  night,  except  at  those  press- 
ing seasons  of  extra  labor,  when  the  morning  feed  may  be  an 
hour  earlier  and  the  evening  feed  an  hour  latter.  In  this  case, 
however,  nose-bags  should  be  carried  to  the  field,  or  they  should 
be  turned  to  the  wagon  at  10  a.  m.  and  at  4  p.  m.  to  take  one-third 
their  usual  allowance,  as  given  morning  and  evening,  which 
meals,  as  a  rule,  should  be  rather  more  than  the  noonday  feed. 
"When  corn  is  the  main  dependence  as  feed  these  lunches  should 
be  of  oats,  and  if  bruised  so  much  the  better. 

Fast  working  horses  should  i*eceive  their  food  four  times  a 
day,  at  six  in  the  morning,  at  ten,  at  two,  and  at  nine  at  night. 
Carriage  horses  should  be  feed  the  same  number  of  times,  the 
first  feed  being  at  six,  and  the  last  after  their  real  worjc  for  the 
day  is  done,  say  at  nine  at  night,  since  simply  going  to  some 
place  of  amusement  at  eleven  o'clock  or  later  can  hardly  be 
called  work.  The  mid-morning  and  afternoon  meals  will  depend 
upon  the  hours  at  which  they  are  generally  used,  9  A.  m.  and  1 
p.  M.  begin  the  usual  times  for  feeding. 

IV.    Watering. 

Watering  and  the  water  used  is  of  fully  as  much  importance  as 
the  feeding.  A  horse  is  particular  as  to  the  water  he  drinks, 
but  yet  may  be  accustomed  to  any  water  without  detriment  if  it 
be  fit  for  human  use.  The  water  of  large  lakes,  rivers  and  run- 
ning brooks  is  best  and  in  the  order  named.  That  of  ponds 
without  outlet  or  inlet  the  worst ;  in  fact  pond  water  should 
never  be  used ;  well  water  is  altogether  better  and  may  be  given 
without  fear,  wdien  used  constantly,  but  as  with  man,  the  horse 
accustomed  to  lake  or  river  water,  which  is  always  partially 
soft,  should  be  given  well  water,  when  necessity  requires,  with 
care  and  onl}^  in  small  quanties,  the  change  l)eing  gradually 
made.     Water  should  always  be  oflered    before  feeding,  and 


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llJs 


ll 


IIP 

;5  ^  ? 


—  so- 
Then  cover  with  sufficient  hay  to  make  the  mess  for  the  desired 
number  of  horses,  weighing  both  hay  and  meal.  Let  it  stand 
until  feeding  time,  when  the  whole  should  be  worked  over  and 
over  until  thoroughly  mixed.  If  salt  is  given  with  the  mess,  put 
in  the  required  quantity  for  each  horse,  from  one-quarter  to  half 
an  ounce  per  horse  each  feed.  Many  stablemen  mix  the  mess  half 
a  day  in  advance,  but  this  we  do  not  like.  Horses,  like  men,  like 
their  food  fresh.  An  iron  box  is  best  for  mixing,  and  it  should  be 
thoroughly  cleaned  after  each  meal. 

VII.    How  to  Make  Mashes,  Gruel  and  Hay-tea. 

The  ordinary  sweet  mash,  as  usually  made,  is  to  take  four 
quarts  of  good  bran,  moisten  it  gradually  with  hot  water,  and 
then  mix  with  what  boiling  water  will  bring  it  up  to  the  proper 
consistency  for  eating,  covering  it  with  a  cloth  and  feeding  either 
warm  or  cold  as  the  animal  will  eat  it.  What  salt  will  lie  on  a 
quarter  dollar  may  or  may  not  be  mixed  with  it. 

A  better  mash,  especially  for  dry  fed  horses,  is  to  boil  two 
quarts  of  oats  and  a  pint  of  linseed,  for  each  horse,  for  about 
three  hours,  and  then  mix  with  it  sufficient  bran  to  bring  it  to  a 
proper  consistency.  Cover  with  a  cloth  and  feed  cold.  Such  a 
mash  given  once  a  week,  if  the  horses  are  on  average  feed,  will 
keep  their  bowels  in  condition.  If  off  their  feed,  add  a  little  salt, 
and  a  half  pint  of  molasses. 

Gruel  is  one  of  the  best  possible  things  for  a  beaten  out  horse. 
Stir  gradually  in  a  gallon  of  water,  a  pint  or  a  quart  of  oat- meal, 
or  half  flour  and  half  corn-meal,  according  as  the  horse  likes  it 
thick  or  thin,  and  fill  up  the  pail  with  cold  water.  If  the  horse 
hesitates  about  drinking  it,  give  him  first  a  mouthful  of  water. 
If  he  be  very  tired  a  quart  of  sound  ale  will  do  him  good,  but 
under  no  circumstances,  when  exhausted,  should  he  be  given  a  feed 
either  of  grain  or  hay.  If  the  horse  will  take  nothing  else,  turn 
down  a  bottle  of  sound  ale,  rub  him  until  dry  and  refreshed,  and 
then  feed. 

Hay  tea  is  also  a  good  stimulant.  To  make  it — fill  a  bucket 
three-quarters  full  of  bright,  clean  hay,  pour  over  it  enough  boil- 


—  83  — 

Before  work  horses  are  littered  down  for  the  night  they  should 
,be  again  thoroughly  cleaned  if  necessary. 

Whenever  the  horse  comes  into  the  stable  from  the  plow  or 
wagon,  for  the  day,  he  should  be  thoroughly  cleaned  whe7i  dry 
enough,  and  if  sweating  or  otherwise  wet  should  be  thoroughly 
scraped  at  once.  The  scraper  is  a  thin,  flexible  piece  of  wood  ; 
a  section  of  barrel  hoop  makes  a  good  one. 

XII.    Care  of  the  Feet. 

The  feet  are  half  the  horse,  in  fact  a  horse  with  bad  feet,  is  as 
near  a  worthless  animal  as  possible.  Attention  to  the  feet  is 
therefore  of  the  first  importance.  In  this  connection  shoeing  is 
to  be  attended  to.  Know  that  the  blacksmith  understands  his 
business.  The  horse's  foot  should  be  a  study,  and  every  horse- 
man should  understand  the  anatomy  of  the  foot.  When  the 
horse  is  brought  in  from  work,  each  foot  should  be  lifted,  cleaned, 
and  examined  with  the  picker  to  see  that  no  gravel  or  other 
hard  substance  has  found  lodgment  between  the  shoe  and  hoof, 
or  about  the  frog.  Examine  the  frog  to  see  that  no  substance 
is  wedged  therein,  and  that  no  nail  or  other  sharp  object  has 
pierced  the  sole.  If  the  hoofs  are  inclined  to  be  hard  and 
dry,  fill  them  with  a  mixture  of  cow-dung  and  clay,  or  with 
oakum  saturated  with  tar  and  petroleum.  Watch  them  for 
contraction  of  the  hoof,  caused  by  allowing  the  shoe  to  remain 
on  too  long,  or  from  bad  shoeing.  If  the  frog  gets  torn  and 
ragged,  cut  the  ragged  edges  but  leave  the  frog  intact.  If  the 
hoof  be  found  pierced  with  a  nail,  and  you  are  not  perfectly 
sure  you  have  pulled  out  every  bit,  cut  it  out  at  whatever  labor 
it  may  be  to  you,  or  pain  to  the  animal.  Then  dress  the  wound 
with  tow  saturated  with  tar.  If  the  hoofs  are  inclined  to  be  hard 
and  brittle,  oil  them  occasionally,  or  let  the  horse  stand,  say  for 
an  hour  or  two,  or  for  a  half  a  day  on  Sunday,  in  a  box-stall  of 
soft  clay  and  cow-manure,  coming  pretty  well  up  the  hoofs. 

XIII.    Blanketing— When  Necessary. 

A  blanket  is  always  necessary  when  a  horse  is  standing  in  the 
stable  in  Winter.  A  light  sheet  is  about  as  necessary  in  Summer, 
during  fly  time     A  blanket  should  always  be  thrown  over  the 


# 


Breeding  and  Raising  Horses. 


I.    Importance  of  the  Subject. 

No  subject  connected  with. the  rearing  and  use  of  stock  can  be 
of  more  importance  to  the  farmer  and  stock-grower,  the  intelli- 
gent, practical  business  man,  than  that  of  breeding.  That  it  is 
in  every  way  more  profitable  to  any  one  who  rears  and  trains  a 
single  colt  to  have  that  colt  of  the  very  best  rather  than  of  any 
indifferent  quality  is  almost  too  palpable  to  need  a  moment's  con- 
sideration. That  it  is  possible  for  every  man  of  observation  and 
good  judgment  to  improve  his  stock  is  equally  obvious.  There 
is  no  line  of  work  which  horses  are  called  upon  to  perform  that 
has  not  its  peculiar  requirements,  that  can  be  better  met  by  some 
specific  kind  of  animal  than  by  one  chosen  at  haphazard.  It  is  a 
matter,  then,  of  the  plainest  common  sense  that  every  one  who 
means  to  rear  a  horse  for  his  own  use  should  consider  before- 
hand to  what  purposes  he  will  most  probably  devote  it.  If  it  is 
designed  for  market,  he  needs  no  less  to  consult  his  interests  by 
determining  what  markets  are  accessible  to  him,  and  what  de- 
scription of  animal  will  be  apt  to  find  most  ready  sale  therein, 
at  most  remunerative  prices. 

For  the  farmer  who  wants  to  breed  and  rear  horses  of  all 
work,  it  would  be  manifestly  foolish  to  seek  a  high-priced  pure- 
blooded  race,  for  his  mares,  unless  the  mares  themselves  were 
of  such  type  as  to  render  it  necessary  to  breed  to  high  and  ele- 
gant stallions  in  order  to  obtain  those  medium-sized,  but  com- 
pact, and  moderately  quick-paced  animals  that  are  so  well 
adapted  to  all  the  wants  of  the  farmer. 

On  the  other  hand,  one  wanting  a  light  and  fleet  animal 
would  show  his  lack  of  judgment  in  a  striking  mauner  who 
should  so  disregard  all  the  dictates  of  sound  sense  as  to  hope  to 
succeed  by  any  chance  selection  of  either  mares  or  stallions. 


—  88- 

The  growth  of  the  mare  is  hindered  ;  her  form  is  modified  both 
by  the  weight  of  the  stallion  and  by  carrying  the  foal.  And  the 
foal  itself  is  apt  to  lack  fullness  and  power.  Yet,  it  takes  from 
the  young  mother  that  sustenance  which  she  needs  for  her  own 
development,  so  that  she  is  dwarfed,  while  it  grows  up  a  more  or 
less  puny  creature— of  insufficient  value  to  compensate  for  the 
injury  done  to  the  dam.  No  mare  should  be  so  used  till  she  is  at 
least  three  years  old— four  would  be  the  better  and  more  profit- 
able age.  It  is  said  that  mares  which  are  allowed  to  mature,  and 
are  well  treated  afterwards,  will  not  lose  enough  of  their  natural 
vigor  to  disqualify  them  for  bringing  forth  good  foals  till  after 
they  are  twenty  years  old  ;  but  it  is  idle  to  expect  good  strong, 
well-formed,  thrifty,  and  spirited  offspring  from  a  mare  that  is 
either  too  young  or  too  old ;  or  that  is  subjected,  even  in  matur- 
ity, to  hard  work,  poor  and  insufficient  food,  and  cruel  handling. 

IV.    Principles  of  Transmission. 

Let  us  next  notice  this  principle,  that  when  the  dam  and  the  sire 
both  possess  a  due  amount  of  vigor,  the  foal  will  combine  in  itself  the  most 
marked  characteristics  of  both,  while  any  quality  that  is  peculiar  to  either 
of  them  is  apt  to  be  prominent  in  the  offspring.  This  applies  to  both 
disposition  and  physical  conformation. 

It  will  be  seen  fi-om  this  statement  that  no  matter  what  the 
general  line  of  policy  to  be  pursued  by  the  breeder  ;  that  of 
in-and-in,  or  that  of  crossing,  he  must  select  his  stallions  and 
mares  with  the  view  to  having  one  supplement  the  other.  If  the 
mare  is  deficient  in  any  point,  the  horse  should  be  full  or  pre- 
dominant there,  and  vice  versa;  and  if  any  peculiar  trait  is  desired, 
that  should  be  very  strongly  developed  in  either  sire  or  dam, 
while  merely  nominal  in  the  other. 

Another  special  point  to  be  considered  is  this :  that  for  the  pro- 
duction of  a  full-formed,  symmetrical,  vigorous,  and  thrifty  foal, 
the  mare  should  be  proportionately  larger  than  the  horse.  An  overgrown 
stallion,  of  great  power,  serving  a  mare  of  diminutive  size,  or  of 
size  somewhat  less  in  proportion  than  his  own,  will  beget  her  a 
strong  embryo  that  will  require  more  room  and  more  nourish- 
ment than  the  mare  can  afford  ;  and  the  result  must  be  weakness. 


-80- 

and,  probably,  deformity — almost  inevitably  diminutive  size. 
Men's  minds  were  particularly  called  to  this  fact  in  Great  Britian 
when,  during  a  course  of  years,  the  farmers  of  Yorkshire  thought 
that  by  breeding  their  mares  to  the  very  largest  stallions  they 
could  find,  and  without  regard  to  the  size  of  the  mare,  they  could 
meet  the  demand  in  London  for  great  overgrown  horses,  which 
it  was  then  the  fashion  to  drive  in  coaches  and  other  heavy 
carriages.     The  result  was  a  race  of  almost  worthless  creatures. 

In  other  points  than  mere  size,  more  depends  upon  the  selection 
of  the  mare  than  that  of  the  horse.  The  great  majority  are  mares 
bred  after  their  own  stock  unless  the  stallion  is  so  powerful  as  to 
neutralize  or  overcome  this  physiological  peculiarity  ;  so  that  it 
is  necessary  for  her  to  be  of  good  lineage  if  the  best  results  are 
wanted.  If  she  has  come  from  diseased,  vicious,  or  in  any  way 
evil  ancestry,  though  she  may  be  free  from  perceptible  taint,  the 
bad  points  of  her  stock  will  very  probably  appear  in  her  offspring. 
This  principle  makes  it  necessary  to  have  a  regard  for  her  color 
and  for  the  color  that  is  known  to  have  been  prevalent  in  her  line, 
since  any  dirty,  vari-tinted,  and  otherwise  disagreeable  colors 
may  appear  in  a  foal  of  hers  if  her  progenitors  have  had  such  a  hue. 

V.    The  Two  Methods,  "In-and-in"  and  "Cross" 
Breeding  Considered. 

As  for  the  two  leading  methods  of  breeding,  circumstances 
generally  determine  which  the  farmer  or  other  breeder  on  a 
moderate  scale  is  to  adopt.  He  is  now  almost  always  under  the 
absolute  necessity  of  crossing;  and  the  main  point  with  him  is, 
how  to  cross,  in  order  to  secure  the  best  results.  The  main  direc- 
tions are  already  laid  down,  with  sufficient  minuteness  to  enable 
anyone  of  ordinary  intelligence  to  judge  as  to  the  best  means. 
One  point  must  not  be  overlooked,  that  really  to  improve  the 
stock  of  horses  as  to  blood— to  obtain  a  strain  that  has  the  power 
of  transmitting  itself,  and  of  so  continuing  in  a  steady  line  of 
improvement,  recourse  must  be  had  to  pure  blooded  horses. 
The  English  racer  or  thoroughbred  is  almost  our  sole  reliance  in 
this  respect :  although  an  Arab  may  occasionally  be  found.    The 


-93- 

otliers  will  go  equally  as  long  beyond  this  period.  When  once  the 
time  of  a  mare  is  known,  the  breeder  can  generally  regulate  her  go- 
ing to  the  horse  so  as  to  have  the  colt  appear  at  whatever  season  he 
considers  most  desirable,  but  without  this  knowledge  he  cannot 

After  having  being  served  by  ahorse,  the  mare  should  be  allowed 
to  stand  idle  awhile,  as  conception  will  be  far  more  apt  to  take  place 
if  she  is  left  to  herself.  If  put  to  brisk  motion,  or  to  any  strain 
immediately  after  copulation,  she  is  apt  to  fail  of  conception. 
She  should  also  be  kept  away  from  string-proud  or  badly  cas- 
trated geldings,  not  only  at  this  period,  but  during  her  entire 
pregnancy,  as  they  are  apt  to  worry  her  to  the  casting  of  the 
conception,  or,  at  a  later  period,  to  slinking  the  foal. 

After  she  has  been  allowed  a  reasonable  season  of  quiet,  mod- 
erate work  will  be  rather  beneficial  than  injurious  ;  and  this  may 
be  kept  up  until  about  the  time  for  foaling.  Special  care  should 
always  be  exercised  to  guard  her  a;5ainst  being  kicked,  heavily 
thrown,  or  inordinately  strained  in  any  way. 

It  sometimes  occurs  that  at  the  time  of  foaliug,  a  false  pre- 
sentation is  made,  producing  difficulty  of  delivery  ;  but  no  reli- 
able instructions  can  be  here  given  as  to  what  course  to  pursue 
in  these  cases ;  and  it  is  best  to  seek  the  aid  of  some  skillful 
veterinary  surgeon. 

The  mare  which  has  had  a  colt  will  be  found  in  season  some- 
time within  the  next  thirty  days,  and  she  ought  to  go  to  the 
horse  at  this  time  if  she  is  to  be  bred  at  all.  The  ninth  day  after 
foaling  will  generally  be  found  to  be  the  right  time.  AVhenever 
indications  of  heat  are  discovered,  the  matter  should  not  be  de- 
layed, as  the  season  may  pass  off  and  not  return.  After  put- 
ting, the  daj^s  of  trail  are  the  ninth,  then,  if  she  refuses,  the 
seventh  after  this,  and  upon  a  second  refusal,  the  fifth  after 
this,  which  is  sufficient  to  prove  her. 

VII.    How  to  Know  whether  a  Mare  is  in  Foal. 

It  is  often  important  for  both  breeders  and  traders  to  know 
whether  a  mare  is  really  in  foal ;  and  one  prominent  writer  has 
published  the  following  directions  for  determining  this  point, 
which  he  says  may  be  implicitly  relied  on : 


—95- 

tion ;  and  if  a  mare  once  casts  her  foal,  she  is  apt  to  do  so  at  a 
corresponding  period  of  pregnancy  afterwards, — more  especially 
if  like  provocation  occurs. 

Various  other  causes  of  abortion,  some  of  which  may  be 
briefly  referred  to,  for  the  purpose  of  pointing  out  certain  pre- 
ventive measures  and  suggesting  others.  Blows,  strains,  and 
any  violent  excitement  may  have  this  effect ;  and  it  is  said  that 
to  allow  a  mare  to  see  and  smell  food  to  wiiich  she  has  been  ac- 
customed, and  of  which  she  is  fond,  without  suffering  her  to  eat 
of  it,  will  cause  slinking.  Feeding  hogs  or  other  stock  upon  corn 
in  sight  of  a  mare  that  is  not  also  thus  fed,  is,  for  this  reason  dan- 
gerous. Sympathy,  is  a  known  cause :  a  pregnant  mare,  seeing 
another  cast  her  foal,  is  apt  to  be  affected  in  like  manner. 
Nervous  spasms,  or  a  sort  of  animal  hysteria,  resulting  fi-om 
sympathy  of  the  womb  with  a  diseased  stomach  or  other  organ, 
occasionally  results  in  causing  the  foal  to  be  cast.  Some  affirm 
that  a  smell  of  blood,  or  of  freshly  slaughtered  meat,  will  do  it. 

If  a  mare  slinks  because  of  a  hurt,  a  strain,  or  some  acute 
attack  of  disease,  she  is  not  apt  to  fall  into  the  habit  of  abortion, 
provided  proper  care  is  taken  to  guard  against  exciting  causes  at 
a  corresponding  period  of  her  next  pregnancy. 

When  once  this  tendency  is  established,  however,  it  is  difficult 
to  counteract  it,  as  the  slinking  is  more  than  likely  to  take  place 
at  times  when  the  mare  is  not  under  observation.  If  symptons 
of  casting  chance  to  be  discovered  in  time,  it  may  be  prevented 
by  promptly  burning  pigeon  feathers  (or  those  of  other  birds,  if 
these  cannot  be  obtained),  on  a  hot  pan,  or  a  pan  of  coals,  and 
holding  them  so  that  she  will  be  obliged  to  inhale  the  smoke. 

X.    How  to  Raise  Colts. 

If  the  colt  is  healthy  and  thriving,  he  should  be  weaned  at 
from  five  to  six  months  old.  If  allowed  to  run  with  the  dam 
after  this  period,  he  is  an  unnecessary  burden  to  her,  since  he 
has  already  learned  to  pick  up  and  devote  to  his  own  use  other 
sustenance,  and  he  may  most  judiciously  be  taken  away.  If 
at  this  time  the  dam  is  still  inclined  to  furnish  milk  so  copi- 
ously as  to  render  the  udder  painful  to  her,  she  should  be  looked 


-97- 

Provisions  must  of  course  be  made  for  liis  obtaining  readily,  and 
at  such  times  as  the  wants  of  nature  may  dictate,  plenty  of  pure 
water — the  purer  the  better. 

Thus  much  as  to  food,  drink,  and  shelter.  Another  point  of 
importance  must  not  be  omitted  in  his  raising,  that  is,  familiar 
izing  him  with  his  master  or  with  whomsoever  has  cliarge  of 
him.  He  should  be  handled  sufficiently  and  in  such  a  way  as 
thoroughly  to  overcome  all  shyness,  and  to  lead  him  to  feel  that 
man  is  his  friend.  This  confidence  once  established,  his  training 
— when  the  proper  time  comes  for  that — will  be  easily  and  suc- 
cessfully accomplished ;  his  subsequent  relations  with  his  master 
will  be  always  pleasant,  and  his  value  thereby  much  enhanced. 

And  this,  indeed,  touches  a  fundamental  principle  in  the  care 
of  all  dumb  beasts.  Lead  them  to  recognize  that  man  is  their 
friend ;  that  they  can  depend  on  him  to  advance  their  comforts, 
and  to  secure  their  welfare. 

XI.    Mules. 

The  breeding  and  rearing  of  mules,  so  common  in  many  por- 
tions of  the  United  States,  requires  more  than  a  passing  consider- 
ation. To  obtain  the  best  results  in  crossing  with  the  ass  demands 
as  much  intelligent  care  as  in  the  case  of  the  horse;  and  the  mule- 
breeder  will  find  it  much  to  his  advantage  thoroughly  to  inform 
himself  as  to  how  these  results  are  to  be  obtained. 

Many  mistaken  impressions  prevail  as  to  the  relative  usefulness 
of  the  mule,  as  compared  with  the  cost  of  breeding  and  main- 
tenance. 

It  is  thought  by  the  inexperienced  that  he  is  almost  equally 
adapted  to  every  kind  of  draft  work  to  which  the  horse  may  be 
put;  that  his  power  as  a  pack-animal  is  much  greater  than  that 
of  the  horse;  that  his  endurance  is  greater;  that  he  can  subsist 
on  less  food ;  and  that  he  demands  every  way  less  care.  All  these 
things  are  set  down  to  his  advantage  ;  but  in  most  instances  the 
impressions  are  wholly  erroneous.  As  a  general  thing,  he  is  not 
well  adapted  to  road  or  to  city  purposes  at  all.  Especially  are 
hard  roads  and  pavements  destructive  to  him  if  he  is  large  of 
body  and  disproportionately  small  of  leg.    He  is  not  so  stout  as 


,Q>  vj  Ob  ^1^,  _^^s  _Cv^  ^o  , 


0 
en 

H 
5? 


—  104  — 


The  Breaking  and  Taming  of  Wild  and  Vicions  Horses. 


Nature  of  the  Horse. 

The  horse  has  no  reasoning  faculties  beyond  the  limits  of  his  ex- 
perience. Hence  we  can  reason  with  him  by  acts  alone.  Literally, 
with  the  horse,  acts  speak  louder  than  words ;  and  hence  the  abso- 
lute importance  of  commencing  every  move  with  the  horse  right, 
for  by  our  acts  he  learns.  Secondly,  early  impressions  are  strong 
both  in  the  human  family  and  with  the  horse,  and  seldom,  if  ever, 
are  entirely  erased  from  memory's  tablet. 

Who  is  there  in  the  human  family  that  does  not  well  remember 
the  first  impressions  of  his  boyhood  days;  and  as  we  journey  on 
through  life,  what  a  controlling  influence  they  exert  over  us;  just 
so  with  the  horse.  Hence  the  great  importance  of  having  his  first 
impressions  of  man,  of  such  a  nature  as  to  convince  him  not  only 
of  man's  superiority,  but  to  satisfy  him  that  man  is  his  best  friend. 
Obtained  by  a  systematic  course  of  handling,  not  only  supreme 
power  over  him,  but  teach  him  also  to  repose  trust  and  confidence 
in  you  and  then  never  betray  it.  No  animal  has  memory  equal  to 
that  of  the  horse,  and  none  will  reciprocate  a  kindness  or  resent  an 
injury  sooner.  I  hold  that  man  being  on  account  of  his  intellectual 
resources  superior  to  all  other  animals,  is  and  has  a  right  to  be  at 


—  105  — 


the  head  of  all  animal  creation,  for  he  can  adopt  means  to  overcome 
the  strength  of  the  horse  or  even  use  it  against  himself. 

Always  remember  this :  before  any  attempt  is  made  to  handle  a 
horse,  it  is  an  imperative  necessity  that  we  must  first  consider  his 
disposition,  nature  and  understanding. 


fl,:'-^^ 


9f  anies  and  Situations  of  tbe  External  Parts  of  a  Horse. 


I.  Muscles. 

15- 

Hock. 

29. 

Heel. 

2.  Face. 

16. 

Cannon. 

30- 

Small  Pastern. 

3.  Forehead. 

17- 

Fetlock. 

31- 

Large  Pastern. 

4.  Poll. 

18. 

Large  Pastern. 

32. 

Fetlock. 

5.  Crest. 

^9- 

Small  Pastern, 

33- 

Cannon  or  Shauk, 

6.  Withers. 

20. 

Hoof. 

34- 

Knee. 

7.  Back. 

21. 

Sheath. 

35- 

Forearm. 

8.  Loins.. 

22. 

Flank. 

36. 

Breast. 

9.  Hip. 

23- 

Belly. 

37- 

Point. 

10.  Croup. 

24. 

Stifle. 

38. 

.Shoulder. 

II.  Dock. 

25- 

Coronet. 

39- 

Windpipe. 

12.  Quarters. 

26. 

Girth. 

40. 

Gullet. 

13.  Thigh. 

27. 

Elbow. 

41. 

Neck. 

14.  Hamstring. 

28. 

Arm. 

42. 

Jowl. 

—  107  — 

found  the  easiest  subjects  were  horses  of  the  following  colors :  Black, 
dark  bay,  dark  brown  and  chestnut.  Horses  of  iron  gray,  light 
chestnut  or  sorrel  and  light  bay  generally  are  horses  of  a  mean  dis- 
position or  a  very  stubborn  will. 

Thoroughbred  horses  require  more  hard  work  and  longer  lessons 
to  get  them  under  perfect  control  than  a  cold-blooded  horse,  but 
when  once  thoroughly  taught  what  you  want  him  to  do  he  will 
never  forget  your  teachings. 


Question. 
ward. 


How  do  you  handle  a  whip  to  make  a  colt  come  for- 


Ansiver.  Take  hold  of  his  halter  with  one  hand  (left  hand),  take 
a  bow  whip  in  your  right  hand,  let  the  cracker  of  the  whip  touch 
him  on  the  tail,  carrying  the  whip  directly  over  his  back,  as  seen  in 
the  above  engraving;  touch  him  lightly  with  the  whip  and  sa^ 
"come  here." 


-Ill- 
possible  for  the  colt  to  throw  him  ofi'.  Lead  him  around  for  ten  or 
fifteen  minutes  in  this  way.  Then  you  can  let  go  of  the  boy's  legs, 
and  one  man  can  lead  the  colt.  Be  very  careful  to  caution  the  rider 
not  to  touch  his  heels  to  the  colt's  side.  Lead  him  around,  say  for 
ten  or  twenty  minutes.  Let  the  driver  dismount  and  mount  him 
again.  Then  put  the  colt  away.  In  two  or  three  hours  bring  him 
out  again  and  get  on  him.  If  he  should  make  any  attempt  to 
throw  the  rider  the  second  time,  let  him  take  the  left-hand  line  in 
four  inches  shorter  than  the  other.  That  pulls  the  colt's  head 
around  to  his  side  and  sets  him  on  a  whirl.  After  he  has  whirled 
around  six  or  eight  times  he  becomes  a  little  dizzy.  You  can  then 
straighten  up  on  the  lines  and  say,  "Get  up,"  and  he  will  move  off 
nicely.  Work  as  easy  with  him  as  you  possibly  can.  I  would  advise 
that  all  colts,  before  being  rode,  should  be  thrown.  Then  you  will 
have  no  difficulty  whatever. 


Handling  and  Driving  a  Colt. 

Teach  him  not  to  be  afraid  of  all  kinds  of  objects.  In  the  hand- 
ling of  a  colt  for  driving  purposes,  first  take  an  ordinary  open  bridle 
and  straight  bar  bit  and  a  surcingle,  or  a  pad  of  harness,  and  run 
the  lines  through  the  thill  straps  of  the  harness ;  then  step  back 
behind  the  colt  and  take  hold  of  the  lines  and  commence  to  teach  him 
to  turn  right  and  left  by. the  bit.  Never  teach  him  more  than  one 
thing  at  a  time.  After  you  get  him  so  he  will  turn  quickly  to  the 
right  and  left  by  line,  you  then  can  teach  him  the  word  "  whoa." 
Then  after  this  has  been  accomplished  teach  him  to  back.  Ther_ 
before  ever  putting  a  colt  before  a  wagon,  be  sure  you  have  him 
thoroughly  bitted  and  have  taught  him  all  of  the  above  commands. 
Now,  before  hitching  the  colt,  you  want  to  make  him  familiar  with 
everything  that  will  be  liable  to  frighten  him  on  the  start,  such  as 
umbrellas,  tin  pans,  paper,  fire-crackers,  buffalo  robes,  blankets,  top 
carriages,  and  in  fact  every  object  that  frightens  many  of  our  horses 
and  makes  them  run  away.  In  order  to  control  the  colt,  teach  him 
that  these  objects  are  harmless,  in  the  following  manner: 

Buckle  an  ordinary  hame  strap  around  each  front  limb  below  the 
fetlock  joint  5  then  ttike  ^  rope  twenty  feet  long,  tie  one  end  of  thia 


w 


V 


—  us- 


ing careful  not  to  inflict  pain,  and  repeat  this  lesson  to  him  every 
day  for  two  or  three  days,  and  you  will  have  him  thoroughly  broke. 
Use  the  same  treatment  for  a  halter  puller. 


Question.     Can  you  give  me  any  rule  to  buy  a  family  horse  by  ? 

Answer.  Your  horse  should  stand  sixteen  hands  high,  the  ears 
very  small,  pointed  and  furry  inside,  very  wide  between  the  ears  ;  a 
large  bright  hazel  eye  standing  out  prominently ;  the  nostrils  must 
be  large  and  thin  ;  neck  long  and  well  cut  np  under  the  jaw ;  heavy 
muscle  on  top.  The  withers  must  always  be  higher  than  the  hips; 
back  broad  and  long  hips,  and  close  Jointed. 

For  durability  always  buy  a  close-jointed  horse,  and  one  with  fine, 
short  hair.  The  finer  the  hair  the  longer-lived  the  horse.  For  a 
good  road  horse,  he  should  measure  exactly  as  much  from  between 
his  ears  and  his  withers  as  from  withers  to  the  coupling  of  the  hip ; 
that  is,  the  withers  should  be  exactly  midway  between  his  ears  and 


—  116  — 


the  coupling  of  the  hip.  From  the  point  of  the  withers  to  the 
shoulder  should  be  just  as  long  as  from  the  coupling  of  the  hip  to 
the  point  of  hip  by  tail.     The  horse  should  measure  from  the  point 


of  his  withers  to  the  bottom  of  his  front  foot  fifty-seven  inches,  and 
from  the  point  of  the  shoulder  to  the  point  of  the  hip ;  length  of 
horse,  sixty-two  inches.  Parties  buying  by  this  rule  will  find  it  in- 
variable. 

The  Way  to  Shoe  a  Vicious  Horse. 

Take  a  strap  and  buckle  around  the  hind  foot  below  the  fetlock 
joint,  and  take  a  rope  ten  feet  long  and  place  it  through  the  ring 
upon  this  strap ;  take  a  wooden  pin  four  inches  long  and  an  inch  in 
diameter,  lay  directly  across  'he  hair  of  the  horse's  tail — doubling 
the  hair  over  the  pin  makes  a  loop — then  tie  a  slip- knot  in  one  end 
of  the  rope  and  pass  it  over  the  end  of  the  tail  and  the  pin  ;  now 
reach  down  and  take  hold  of  the  rope,  steppmg  directly  behind  the 
colt,  and  say  to  him  "  take  up  your  foot,  sir,"  and  pull  the  rope  at 
the  same  time.    After  picking  up  his  foot  four  or  five  times,  by  thff 


—  122  — 


Tbe  Horse  with  Over-cbecli. 


In  this  illustration  we  see  the  law  of  curved  line  violated.  Not 
only  is  the  strap  running  over  the  head  made  unduly  conspicious, 
but  a  straight  line  running  thus  over  an  arching  neck  is  as  much  out 
of  place  as  a  straight  j^ole  would  be  by  the  side  of  a  bed  of  roses. 

Again,  this  straight  strap  is  not  only  a  disfigurement  of  itself,  but 
it  is  still  further  injurious  to  fine  appearance,  in  consequence  of  tak- 
ing the  curve  from  the  horse's  neck  and  converting  it  into  a  straight 
line,  besides  wearing  off  and  breaking  to  pieces  the  mane,  which  in 
many  hoses  is  a  leading  feature  of  beauty. 

It  will  also  be  seen  that  the  grandeur  of  the  horse's  bearing  and 
noble  pose  of  head  are  all  destroyed  by  this  peculiar  method  of 
checking  which  turns  the  eyes  upward  and  nose  outward,  and  makes 
the  neck  appear  considerably  smaller  than  it  really  is. 

It  is  impossible  to  resort  to  a  device  that  will  more  effectually 
destroy  the  handsome  appearance  of  fine  horses  than  does  this  foolish 
appliance  for  raising  the  horse's  head  by  means  of  the  overcheck. 
There  is  no  beautiful  object  in  nature  but  would  have  its  beauty 
marred  by  a  line  that  would  hold  it  thus  in  constrained  position. 


—  123  — 


Horse  Jn  TTatnral  Beauty  ^itbout  Cbeck>rein. 


As  will  be  seen  in  the  above,  the  horse,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  animals  in  existence,  is  largely  so,  btcause  of  its  fine  pro- 
portions and  g -aceful  curving  outline. 

In  all  her  objects  of  beauty  nature  furnishes  the  curve.  She 
never  allows  a  straight  line.  We  see  this  in  the  outer  form  of  bird, 
leaf,  blossom,  tree,  forest,  mountain  and  planet.  This  is  strikingly 
shown  in  the  human  countenance,  which,  when  wasted  by  disease, 
loses  its  beauty  til rou2;h  becoming  thin,  anorulnr  and  full  of  straight 
lines.  With  returning  health,  the  face  becomes  more  full  and  more 
curved,  and  more  color  comes  into  its  lines  and  beauty  is  restored. 

Horsemen,  in  the  dressing  of  the  horse,  should  understand  this 
law,  as  a  well-cared  for,  Avell-groomed  horse,  cannot  be  improved  in 
appearance  by  harness.  There  should  be  just  as  little  cf  it  used  as 
possible,  and  every  strap  should  be  made  as  small  as  safety  would 
allow.  In  short,  the  harness  should  be  such  as  will  allow  the  perfect 
outline  of  the  animal,  in  all  its  parts,  to  stand  freely  forth. 


—  133  — 


Sbowing  Horse  Eating:  from  a  Higb  Rack  or  Manger,  an  Unnatural 

Position. 


Question.    What  do  you  think  of  horses  eating  from  high  mangers  ? 

Answer.  It  is  the  practice  of  almost  every  horse  owner  to  compel 
his  horse  to  eat  from  high  racks  or  mangers.  This  is  something  that 
I  do  not  approve  of,  as  it  is  unnatural  for  a  horse  to  reach  up  after 
his  food.  In  the  first  place,  all  the  chaff,  hayseed,  dirt,  etc.,  are 
liable  to  get  into  his  eyes  and  ears,  and  many  times  when  horses  are 
fed  their  grain  they  eat  it  so  fast  that  they  do  not  masticate  it  prop- 
erly, and  the  result  is  that  their  digestive  prgans  have  to  perform 
what  their  teeth  ought  to  do. 

Take  and  turn  your  horse  out  into  a  field,  or  say  on  the  side  of  a 
hill,  and  you  will  never  see  him  feeding  up  the  hill ;  he  will  always 
feed  sideways  of  the  hill  or  down  the  hill.  I  claim  that  many  horses 
are  made  sprung  knee,  stiff  necked,  many  times  come  out  of  the  stable 
acting  as  though  they  were  foundered,  caused  from  the  continual 
strain  of  standing  and  reaching  up  for  feed,  which  is  positively  un- 


—  134  — 

natural  for  all  dumb  animals.  Think  of  yourself  getting  your  break- 
fast reaching  three  feet  above  your  head  for  every  mouthful  that  you 
get.  It  would  be  more  pleasant  and  you  would  relish  your  meal  more 
by  having  the  food  placed  one  or  two  feet  below  your  mouth.  I  ap- 
prove of  having  all  horses  fed  in  the  following  manner :  Take  your 
mangers  and  racks  entirely  out  of  the  stall ;  feed  the  hay  from  the 
Hoor  even  with  your  horse's  feet.    In  giving  grain  have  a  box  made 


yfr^tc^tr^d  ry. 


Horse  Eatinir  bis  Food  from  tbe  Uronnd,  as  N^atnre  intended.    Tbe  only 
Proper  iray  to  Feed  the  Horse. 


movable,  and  place  the  grain  in  uhia  box,  and  let  the  horse  eat  that 
from  even  with  his  feet.  He  eats  his  grain  slow,  masticating  it  prop- 
erly, and  the  result  is  that  while  you  hr.vc  had  fo  give  your  horse 
twelve  quarts  of  grain  in  feeding  from  a  high  manger,  nine  quarts 
fed  from  even  with  his  feet  will  keep  him  in  better  condition  tlian 
the  twelve  quarts  fed  from  the  manger;  and  I  jhink  th.t  you  will 
soon  find  out  that  my  idea  will  save  ten  per  cent,  of  focd      one  year. 


—  135  — 


dUASON"^  riDJtlWTFUT 


fQf^  HANOLIN& 

Ma  VICIOUS  H'oRse^ 


TWs  Engrravingr  shows  a  Full  Outfit,  as  used  by 

O.  R.  Gleason  in  Handling:  all  Horses 

of  Vicious  Habits. 


is 

a 

V 

fa 

cs 


How  to  Make  My  Surcingle. 

In  order  to  make  my  surcinjle,  hare  a  piece  of  leather  eight  feet 
long,  four  inches  wide,  with  rings  upon  it  six  inches  apart,  having  it 
so  that  wlien  it  is  buckled  on  the  horse  tliat  two  rings  will  be  directly 


—  136  — 

under  liis  body  with  one  ring  on  each  side  of  him  and  three  rings 
on  the  top  of  the  surcingle ;  one  of  these  surcingles  will  be  very  use- 
ful and  should  hang  in  every  stable. 

To  Educate  Horses  Not  to  be  Afraid  of  Objects  when 

Driving. 

It  is  impos:ible  to  overestimrie  the  value  of  the  subjoined  instruc- 
tions respecting  nervous  and  shying  horses,  therefore  on  this  topic  I 
wish  to  be  particularly  clear  and  explicit.  Let  the  reader  understand 
that  horses  take  fright  at  objects  because  they  fancy  that  those 
objects  will  harm  them,  and  if  you  can  by  any  means  appeal- to  the 
horse's  brain,  and  satisfy  him  that  he  is  not  going  to  be  hurt,  you 
have  accomplished  your  object.  And  in  order  to  do  so  you  must 
have  control  of  your  horse.  I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  you  are  to 
adopt  the  too  frequent  course  pursued  by  many,  viz  :  subduing  with 
the  wnip,  or  other  harsh  means,  which  will,  without  almost  an  ex- 
ception, increase  the  fear  instead  of  removing  the  habit.  Again, 
when  a  horse  shies,  the  driver  commences  to  jerk  on  the  reins  nearest 
to  the  object,  and  at  once  applies  the  whip,  fully  determined  to 
master  his  horse.  Both  man  and  horse  get  excited,  and  the  horse 
comes  off  victorious,  because  he  cannot  control  him  by  the  means 
used,  and  the  result  is  that  the  next  time  the  animal  is  frightened  it 
bears  a  two-fold  character — the  fear  of  the  object  and  the  fear  of  the 
whip  punishment. 

It  is  generally  a  ci'ude  habit  of  many  persons  when  driving.,  a 
horse  past  an  object  of  which  he  is  afraid  to  begin  with  "  whoa,  boy! 
whoa,  boy  !  whoa,  boy!"  and  when  the  horse  has  passed  the  object, 
to  take  the  whip  and  lash  him  with  it,  and  say  "  I  will  learn  you  to 
shy/  &C.  Now  when  this  treatment  is  pursued,  I  claim  the  horse 
believes  that  the  object  that  he  was  afraid  of  inflicted  the  pain,  and 
consequently- he  is  made  worse  instead  of  better.  Now  my  theory  is 
to  use  the  whip  gently  when  approaching  the  object,  and  compel  him 
to  walk  right  up  to  it,  and  let  him  smell  of  it,  stopping  him,  show- 
ing him  that  it  Avill  not  hurt  him. 

Only  use  the  whip  when  you  give  the  word  of  command,  speaking 
with  force  and  distinction,  as  I  believe  nine-tentlis  of  our  runaways 


—  163  — 

Another  good  way  of  breaking  a  horse  to  the  cars,  is  to  hitch  yonr 
horse  up  beside  a  heavy  team  horse,  where  he  cannot  get  away,  and 
after  he  has  been  driven  up  to  the  cars  four  or  five  times  he  is  then 
safe  to  drive  to  your  single  wagon. 


Question.    How  would  you  break  a  shier  ? 

Answer.  I  would  first  place  upon  him  my  double  safety  strap, 
which  is  thoroughly  described  elsewhere,  and  make  him  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  beating  of  drums,  the  rattling  of  tin  pans,  floating 
the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner,"  and  the  shooting  ofi'  firearms,  fire 
crackers,  music,  &c.,  by  driving  him  right  up  to  them  and  giving 
him  to  understand  he  will  not  be  hurt.  And  by  repeating  this  lesson 
every  day,  for  three  or  four  days,  your  horse  has  become  thoroughly 
conversant  with  them  and  will  never  show  fear  when  approaching 
them.  Always  in  giving  these  lessons  to  your  horse,  bear  in  mind 
that  you  must  be  very  careful  that  none  of  the  devices  you  use  must 
hit  him  in  such  a  manner  as  to  cause  pain. 


—  160  — 

aboTe  the  hock  joint.  When  the  horse  kicks  the  leader  must  ex- 
pand, the  result  is  the  elastic  prevents  it  from  doing  so,  and  the 
horse's  habit  of  kicking  in  the  stall  will  soon  be  broken  up.  Never 
use  a  strap  or  rope ;  if  you  do  it  will  stop  the  circulation.  In  aU 
cases  use  the  elastic. 


Question.     What  do  you  think  of  whirling  a  horse  by  his  tail  ? 

Answer,  If  you  have  a  horse  bad  to  harness,  or  will  not  stand  to  be 
bridled  or  saddled,  take  the  halter  strap  in  your  left  hand,  take  hold 
of  the  horse's  tail  with  your  right  hand,  and  whirl  him  around 
eight  or  ten  times.  He  will  become  dizzy,  and  the  moment  you  let 
go. of  him  he  will  stagger  or  fall.  Then  say  "  whoa ; "  pick  up  your 
saddle,  harness  or  bridle,  or  whatever  you  want  to  put  on  him,  and 
you  will  find  that  he  will  stand  perfectly  quiet.  It  is  a  quick  and 
effective  method. 

Never  tie  your  horse's  head  and  tail  together,  but  follow  the  above 
instructions. 


—  164  — 

him  a  general  liandling  in  the  same  way  that  I  control  tickers. 
After  giving  two  lessons  he  will  not  bother  you  about  bolting  or 
plunging.  If  he  should  bother  you  in  bolting  on  the  street,  or  at 
any  certain  place,  take  him  right  there  and  handle  him  with  the 
safety  strap.  If  he  should  be  inclined  to  balk,  use  guy  lines  as  laid 
down  for  breaking  balky  horses. 


Take  four  hame  straps,  or  similar  small  straps,  buckle  one  around 
each  pastern.  Then  run  a  strap  from  the  near  side  foot  to  the  offside 
hind  foot,  passing  it  through  the  ring  in  the  surcingle  under  the 
horse's  body ;  also  one  from  the  off  side  front  foot  to  the  near  side 
hind  foot,  leaving  the  straps  loose  enough  to  give  the  horse  full  use 
of  his  limbs  in  trotting  or  walking.  When  he  kicks  he  will  draw 
up  his  fore  feet,  striking  on  his  knees.     He  will  soon  cease  to  kick. 


Question,  How  do  you  prevent  a  horse  from  putting  his  tongue 
out  of  his  mouth  over  the  bit  ? 

Answer.  Get  a  piece  of  sole  leather  seven  inches  long  from  point 
to  point  and  three  inches  wide.  (See  engraving.)  Lay  a  straight 
bar  bit  in  the  middle  of  the  leather,  bringing  the  points  up  together. 


—  172-^ 

cannot  run  or  jump,  as  he  cannot  moYe  both  front  feet  at  the  same 
time.    This  can  be  used  upon  colts  as  well  as  horses. 

Question.     How  would  you  keep  a  horse  from  tearing  his  blanket 
in  the  stall  ? 


Answer.  Sew  a  piece  of  leather  about  five  inches  square  on  each 
side  of  the  halter,  letting  it  come  down  even  with  his  mouth ;  when 
he  reaches  down  to  grab  the  blanket  he  will  have  to  chew  the  leather. 


Question. 
the  stall? 


How  would  you  keep  a  horse  from  getting  cast  in 


Answer.  Put  on  the  horse  a  halter  ;  sew  a  ring  in  the  halter  over 
the  horse's  head  ;  on  top  of  the  stall  drive  a  staple  and  ring  ;  at 
the  side  of  the  stall  drive  another  staple  and  ring,  take  a  rope 
ten  feet  long  with  a  driving  snap  threaded  into  one  end  of  it ; 
feed  your  horse  from  the  floor  with  a  manger  of  oats.     When 


—  177 


A  C!eiitleuiaii''8  Kuaa  Horse. 


A  Good  General  Busiaess  Horse. 


—  181  — 

his  feet  and  legs.  Then  clean  it  off  with  a  brush.  Do  not 
wash  your  horse  upon  coming  in  from  a  muddy  drive.  By  fol- 
lowing my  instructions  in  this  particular  you  will  prevent 
scratches,  greased  heels  and  many  other  disagreeable  diseases  of 
the  leg. 

The  Celebrated  "Gleason  Bridle." 

For  training  and  handling  horses  of  all  vicious  habits,  no  ropes  or 
cords  to  lacerate  the  mouth  is  recommended  by  me. 


Havii  v^  up  to  this  time,  during  my  professional  career'  used  ropes 
ia  lieu  of   straps,  for    my  Bonaparte  and  Eureka  bridles,  I  now 


—  190  — 


The  above  engraving  illustrates  the  use  of  my  single  foot-strap, 
which,  the  reader  will  readily  see,  gives  the  driver  a  double  purchase 


—  194  — 


The  above  engraving  illustrates  the  manner  of  branding  a  horse, 
showing  where  the  brand  should  be  placed,  and  which  should  be 
regulated  by  a  law  of  the  United  States.  Parties  owning  ranches 
where  branding  is  necessary,  should  brand  the  horse  on  the  left  hind 
foot,  and  that  brand  should  be  registered.  I  j-ecommend  that  the 
United  States  Government  adopt  this  method  in  branding  its  horses. 


Question.     How  would  you  handle  a  wild  mustang  ? 

Answer.  In  handling  a  wild  mustang  or  any  wild  vicious  horse, 
many  times  they  are  so  dangerous  that  it  is  impossible  to  approach 
them  with  safety.  I  will  lay  down  a  rule  to  handle  a  wild  and  vicious 
mustang  or  western  bronco.  Take  a  half-inch  rope  fifty  feet  long, 
make  a  slip  noose  in  one  end  of  it,  lay  this  on  the  ground,  making  a 
large  loop  about  three  and  one-half  feet  across  it,  then  lead  the 
bronco  into  it,  his  front  feet  standing  in  the  loop,  as  seen  in  the 
above  engraving.  The  moment  that  he  gets  into  the  rope  pull 
the  rope,  which  will  bring  his  two  front  limbs  together ;  you 
pull  to  the  left  and  the  man  that  has  hold  of  the  bronco  or 
mustang  pull  to  the  right ;  you  will  at  once  bring  him  to  his 
back,  as  seen  in  the  following  engraving.  Now  you  can  take  the 
mustang  and  put  on  my  double  safety  strap  and  the  driving  bridle 
and  handle  him  the  same  as  I  have  laid  down  for  handling  any 


—  107  — 

him  from  getting  up.  Noir  put  on  your  driving  bridle,  surcingle 
and  safety  strap.  Commence  the  training  by  letting  him  get  up  and 
handling  him  the  same  as  a  runaway,  kicker  or  colt. 

Will  You  Answer  these  Questions  ? 

Can  a  cribbing  horse  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  ringbones  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  spavins  be  cured  ?    Not  after  they  have  become  seated. 

Can  heaves  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  shoe  boils  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  blindness  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  nervicular  lameness  be  cured  ?    Not  after  long  standing. 

Can  splints  be  cured  ?    No. 

Do  you  approve  of  coi^.dition  powder  ?  Yes,  if  made  fresh  every 
spriug  from  receipts  given  in  my  book.  Condition  powders  that  lie 
in  stores  for  five  or  ten  years  are  not  very  valuable.  The  strength 
of  the  medicine  must  be  gone.  I  would  advise  all  horse  owners  not 
to  waste  their  money  in  buying  such  trash. 

Can  contracted  feet  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  sprung  knees  be  cured  ?    Nok 

Can  curb  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  bog  spavin  be  cured  ?    No. 

Can  a  meaner  be  cured  ?    No.  ^ 

Can  a  corn  from  long  standing  be  cured  ?    No. 

Question.  How  would  you  break  a  yoke  of  steers  and  a  kicking 
cow? 

Answer.  First  get  your  steer  into  a  room  or  small  yard,  so  that 
he  can  not  run  from  you ;  then  approach  him  slowly,  and  if  he  runs 


—  198  — 

do  not  be  in  a  hurry,  but  wait  until  he  gets  to  the  end  of  the  room 
or  yard ;  then  approach  him  slowly,  as  before.  A  steer  may  run 
from  you  in  this  way  several  times;  but  do  not  try  and  stop  him 
with  your  whip,  or  force  him  to  think  that  he  will  be  at  all  injured, 
until  he  will  stand  and  suffer  you  to  approach  him.  As  soon  as  this 
is  accomplished  gently  tie  a  rope  around  his  body  near  the  shoulders, 
rather  loosely.  Then  take  another  strap  or  rope,  and  gently  fasten 
one  end  to  the  near  fore  foot ;  then  pass  the  other  end  over  the  rope 
or  surcingle,  beneath  the  body.  This  rope  should  be  sufficiently 
long  to  allow  him  to  run  to  the  end  of  the  yard  without  your  moving, 
at  the  same  time  you  holding  the  rope  sufficiently  firm  ■'<•  compel 
him  to  move  on  three  legs.  Then  approach  him  again  quietly,  and 
so  continue  until  he  will  allow  you  to  approach  and  handle  him  as 
you  please.  Now  take  a  short  hold  of  the  strap  with  your  left  hand, 
your  whip  in  the  right,  which  pass  over  his  shoulders,  and  quietly 
touch  him  on  the  off-side  of  the  head,  at  the  same  time  saying, 
"  haw,''  and  continue  this  until  he  moves  his  head  a  little  toward 
you.  They  understand  what  you  require  of  them  while  yoked  to- 
gether. 

If  your  steers  have  learned  to  run  away  from  you,  which  is  a  com- 
mon result  of  the  ordinary  method  of  training,  put  on  the  rope  and 
Ftrap  to  the  foot.  If  hitched  to  a  wagon  or  sled,  let  your  man 
hold  the  foot  strap,  which  runs  back  between  the  steers,  and  the 
moment  they  attempt  to  run  away  he  pulls  up  their  feet,  while  you 
whip  them  over  the  head,  which  will  stop  them  immediately  and  ia 
a  short  time  break  up  the  habit. 

Kicking  Cows. 

It  is  natural  for  the  cow  to  stand  while  being  milked,  consequently 
the  heifer  knows  nothing  about  kicking  until  hurt  or  frightened 
into  it.  The  lesson  in  regard  to  heifers  is  therefore  perfectly  plain. 
Be  careful  and  not  hurt  or  frighten  them.  If  by  accident  you  should, 
and  they  kick,  do  not  punish  them  for  it.  Kindness  and  gentle 
handling  is  the  only  remedy.  If  your  cow  kicks,  let  your  reasoning 
for  the  cause  be  based  upon  the  principle  that  she  never  kicked  un- 
til she  was  injured,  and  the  remedy  will  at  once  suggest  itself.  No 
cow  was  ever  broken  of  kicking  by  striking  with  the  stool  or  other 


—  206  — 

miles  with  no  chance  to  rest  themselves,  crowding  and  pushing  till 
they  are  all  in  a  sweat  and  then  allowed  to  cool  off  by  the  winds 
striking  them  through  the  unprotected  sides  of  the  car,  and  without 
food  or  water. 

Eailroad  companies  should  be  compelled  by  law  to  provide  suita- 
ble cars  for  the  shipment  of  horses.  These  cars  should  be  built  so 
as  to  protect  the  horses  from  the  wind,  yet  thoroughly  ventilated. 
Each  horse  should  have  room  to  rest  himself  and  a  place  for  water 
and  feed. 

One  reason  why  most  horses  that  are  shipped  are  in  bad  condition 
for  a  long  time,  becoming  acclimated,  horsemen  say,  is  that  they 
catch  cold  and  get  themselves  out  of  condition  in  the  transit. 

Let  Congress  look  into  this  matter,  order  proper  modes  of  ship- 
ping horses,  and  we  will  see  a  marked  decrease  in  diseases  among 
horses. 

Special  to  the  Farmer. 

The  necessity  for  improvement  in  farm  stock  to  meet  the  exigen- 
cies of  close  times,  of  which  considerable  has  been  said  of  late,  is 
one  which  does  not  end  with  cattle,  sheep  and  swine,  but  includes 
the  horse  stock  as  well.  Perhaps  the  improvement  in  these  other 
descriptions  of  stock  is  of  more  importance  because  of  their  greater 
numbers,  but  a  great  deal  can  be  gained  by  giving  more  attention  to 
the  character  of  the  horse  produced  and  maintained  on  the  farm. 
Horses  cannot  be  dispensed  with  on  the  farm,  and  no  one  makes  the 
attempt,  as  the  major  part  of  the  farm  work  is  performed  with  their 
help,  but  the  cost  of  their  keep  is  a  heavy  burden.  Many  farmers  do 
not  realize  this,  because  the  food  they  consume  is  produced  upon  the 
farm  ;  but  inasmuch  as  if  not  consumed  by  them  this  food  could  be 
sold,  or  something  saleable  raised  in  its  stead.  The  support  of  the 
horse  stock  is  a  very  material  item  of  farm  expense.  On  a  very 
large  proportion  of  farms,  if  not  upon  the  majority,  the  class  of  horses 
maintained  is  such  that  practically  no  return  is  secured  from  them 
beyond  the  labor  they  perform.  This  is  a  good  deal,  of  course,  but 
it  is  not  enough,  for  with  a  better  grade  of  foundation  stock  and 
more  care  in  the  selection  of  stallions,  the  production  of  horses  can 
be  made  to  contribute  very  handsomely  to  farm  revenues  without 


—  210  — 

Breed  as  good  a  mare  as  you  can  afford  to  own  ;  breed  to  as  good  a 
stallion  as  you  feel  that  you  can  afford  to  use,  but  always  keep  in 
view  the  general  useful  qualities  of  the  horse  for  any  work  covering 
good  size,  fifteen  and  one-half  to  sixteen  and  one-half  hands,  good 
strong  bone,  heavily  muscled,  good  disposition,  good  appearance, 
with  soundness  of  parts  and  well-gaited  and  high  breeding,  and  you 
will  not  go  astray.  Above  all,  avoid  the  use  of  cheap,  low  bred 
country  stallions  standing  at  a  low  fee  and  dear  at  that ;  also  horses  of 
unfashionable  colors,  and  those  that  entail  upon  their  stock  white 
faces  and  three  or  four  white  feet.  Such  stock  is  not  popular,  and  if 
buyers  can  be  got  to  buy  them  it  will  be  at  a  reduced  price.  A 
colt  from  a  high  bred  horse  can  be  raised  as  cheap  as  that  from  a 
low  bred  one,  but  when  you  come  to  sell  him,  the  one  by  the  high 
bred  horse  will  sell  for  two  or  three  times  as  much.  Buyers  appre- 
ciate the  value  of  good  blood  and  will  pay  more  for  it,  because  their 
experience  has  taught  them  that  it  is  worth  more  and  will  sell  more 
rapidly.  Feed  your  colts  liberally  and  they  will  well  repay  you  for 
your  liberality  by  making  better  horses  at  three  and  four  years  of 
age  than  they  would  if  half  fed  at  six  years  old. 

I  have  presented  these  thoughts  to  you  as  I  hastily  jotted  them 
down,  but  I  have  probably  said  enough  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
matter  so  that  you  can  fully  consider  it. 


What  Errors  in  Feeding  will  Do,  and  How  to  Prevent 
Diseases  of  the  Digestive  Organs. 

With  very  rare  exceptions  diseases  of  the  digestive  organs  are  re- 
sults of  errors  in  feeding,  and  all  observations  point  to  the  conclusion 
that  in  the  horse  the  intestines  are  more  liable  to  suffer  from  disease 
than  the  stomach.  The  stomach  of  a  horse  is  a  simple  organ,  small 
in  comparison  to  the  size  of  the  animal  and  in  contrast  with  the  vol- 
ume of  the  intestines.  It  is  but  slightly  called  into  action  during 
the  digestive  process,  and,  provided  the  food  be  properly  masticated 
and  incorporated  with  the  salivary  secretions,  it  is  arrested  for  a 
short  time  only  in  the  stomach,  but  is  passed  onward  into  the  intes- 
tinal canal,  where  the  process  of  digestion  is  completed.  On  this 
account  the  intestines  are  more  liable  to  disease.    It  is  also  a  remark- 


^220  — 


Oscar  R.  Gleason's  Original  Methods  for  Detecting 
Unsoundness  in  the  Horse. 


The  result  of  an  experience  of  over  fifteen  years  duration,  in  which  time  he 
has  ha?idled  over  "twenty  thousand  horses,"  which,  however,  may 
seem  incredible  to  the  reader,  but  the  truth  of  which  he  can  clearly  sub- 
stantiate, and  the  fact  demonstrated  on  referring  to  his  Journals,  giving 
the  owners'  names  and  addresses,  the  kind  of  horse  and  the  character  of 
their  habits,  and  the  date  they  were  handled  by  him. 


In  meeting  with  so  many  unsound  horses  in  my  journeyings  about 
the  United  States,  I  am  awakened  to  the  fact  that  I  might  enlighten 
many  of  my  readers  by  my  original  methods  of  detecting  all  of  the 
unsound  points  about  the  horse.  In  doing  this  I  do  not  intend  to 
make  use  of  any  scientific  terms  that  belong  to  the  veterinary  college, 
but  instead  of  which  it  will  be  my  aim  to  use  plain  matter  of  fact  lan- 
guage, and  that  which  would  generally  occur  in  any  and  every  commu- 
nity where  people  reside  who  admire  and  cultivate  to  improve  that  noble 
animal  so  highly  estimated  by  man.  In  doing  this  it  is  certainly  not 
my  object  to  induce  the  reader  to  entertain  the  idea  that  I  belong  to 
the  veterinary  school.  If,  perchance,  the  reader  should  entertain 
the  idea  let  me  here  disabuse  his  mind  with  regard  to  it.  The  veter- 
inary college  is  an  institution  of  a  very  high  order,  and  one  worthy 
of  the  patronage  of  the  rising  generation,  and  should  receive  the  en- 
couragement of  the  whole  world. 


How  to  Examine  the  Horse. 

In  the  first  place  use  your  own  judgment  and  do  not  listen  to  what 
your  neighbors  say.  If  you  are  in  a  locality  where  you  can  get  a 
good  veterinary  to  examine  him,  I  would  advise  you  to  do  so,  unless 
you  consider  yourself  fully  qualified;  if  such  is  the  case  with  the 
reader,  I  can  only  say  go  ahead. 


—  224  — 

Firing  horses  for  any  enlargement  of  the  limb  or  any  other  cause, 
I  consider  a  brutal  treatment,  and  when  left  so  treated,  I  consider 
him  unsound. 

Wolf  teeth  are  two  small  teeth  and  found  on  either  side  of  the 
upper  jaw  next  to  the  grinders.  If  they  set  close  to  the  grindei 
there  is  danger  of  their  effecting  the  eye.  They  should  never  be 
knocked  out  as  is  practiced  by  many,  but  should  be  removed  by  a 
pair  of  forceps.  They  are  peculiar  to  young  horses  or  colts ;  after 
they  have  been  abstracted,  I  consider  the  horse  sound.  By  a  care- 
ful perusal  of  what  I  have  said  upon  the  most  natural  causes  that 
render  the  horse  unsound,  and  a  few  suggestions  as  to  the  treatment 
of  tliem,  if  I  have  rendered  the  reader  any  assistance  and  saved 
the  noble  horse,  man's  true  reliance,  any  torturous  treatment,  I  am 
satisfied. 


THK    TEETH. 


A  foal  at  birth  has  three  molars,  or  grinding  teeth,  just 
through  the  gums,  upon  both  sides  of  the  upper  and  of  the 
lower  jaws.  It  generally  has  no  incisor  or  front  teeth;  but  the 
gums  are  inflamed  and  evidently  upon  the  eve  of  bursting.  The 
molars  or  grinders  are,  as  yet,  unflattened  or  have  not  been 
rendered  smooth  by  attrition.  The  lower  jaw,  when  the  inferior 
margin  is  left,  appears  to  be  very  thick,  blunt  and  round.  4% 

A  fortnight  has  rarely  elapsed  before  the  membrane  ruptures 
and  two  pairs  of  front,  very  white  teeth,  begin  to  appear  in  the 
mouth.  At  first  these  new  members  look  disproportionately 
large  to  their  tiny  abiding  place,  and  when  contrasted  with  the 
reddened  gums  at  their  base,  they  have  that  pretty  pearly  aspect 
which  is  the  common  characteristic  of  the  milk  teeth  in  most 
animals. 

In  another  month,  when  the  foal  is  six  weeks  old,  more  teeth 
appear.  Much  of  the  swelling  at  first  present  has  softened 
down.  The  membrane,  as  time  progresses,  will  lose  much  of 
its   scarlet  hue.     In  the  .period  which  has   elapsed    since   the 


—  227  — 

cise  time  of  the  appearance  of  the  tushes  is  uncertain.  They 
may  come  up  at  the  third  or  the  fourth  year  ;  sometimes  they 
never  pierce  the  gums,  it  being  very  far  from  uncommon  to  see 
horses'  mouths  of  seven  years  without  the  tushes. 

By  the  end  of  the  fourth  year  the  colt  has  certainly  gained 
twelve  teeth.  By  this  time  there  should  exist,  on  each  side  of 
both  jaws,  one  new  lateral  incisor  and  two  fresh  molars,  being 
the  third  and  the  sixth  in  position.  The  appearance  of  the 
mouth  now  indicates  the  approach  of  maturity  ;  but  the  inferior 
margin  of  the  lower  bone  still  feels  more  full  and  rounded  than 
is  consistent  with  the  consolidation  of  an  osseous  structure. 

The  process  of  dentition  is  not  finished  by  the  termination  of 
the  fourth  year.  There  are  more  teeth  to  be  cut,  as  well  as  the 
fangs  of  those  already  in  the  mouth  to  be  made  perfect. 

The  colt,  with  four  pairs  of  permanent  incisors,  has  still  the 
corner  milk  nippers  to  shed,  yet  while  the  provision  necessary 
for  that  labor  is  taking  place  within  the  body,  or  while  nature  is 
preparing  for  the  coming  struggle,  man  considers  the  poor 
quadruped  as  fully  developed  and  as  enjoying  the  prime  of  its 
existence. 

The  teeth  may  be  scarcely  visible  in  the  mouth,  nevertheless 
such  a  sign  announces  the  fifth  year  to  be  attained.  There  are, 
at  five,  no  more  bothering  teeth  to  cut.  All  are  through  the^ 
bone  and  the  mouth  will  soon  be  sound. 

The  indications  of  extreme  age  are  always  present,  and, 
though  during  a  period  of  senility  the  teeth  cannot  be  literally 
construed,  nevertheless  it  should  be  impossible  to  look  upon  the 
"  venerable  steed  "  as  an  animal  in  its  colthood. 


Gleason's  Entire  New  Method  of  Telling  the  Age  of 

a  Horse. 

Copyrighted 

Question.     How  do  you  tell  the  age  of  a  horse  ? 

Anstver.  There  are  many  methods  of  telling  the  ages  of 
horses,  but  I  have  a  new  method,  and  one  that  you  can  always 
tell  within  one  or  two  years  of  their  correct  age,  which  is  as 
follows  : 


—  228  — 


UPPER    JAW 


ia«.yRS*./)Li 

I3.^.» 

15 »> — 

21 M » 


0.  R. 
GLEASON'S 


-11 — n. »— 

.18. ...n. ,,.^ 


NEW 
SYSTEM 


OF     TELLING     HORSES'  AGE.' 


LOWER    JAW 


A  horse  has  forty  teeth — twenty-four  grinders,  twelve  front 
teeth  and  four  tusks.  A  mare  has  thirty-six  teeth — twenty-four 
grinders,  twelve  front  teeth,  and  sometimes  they  have  tusks,  but 
not  very  often.  Fourteen  days  old  a  colt  has  four  nipper  teeth, 
at  three  months  old  he  has  four  middle  teeth,  at  six  months  old 
he  has  four  corner  teeth  ;  at  one  year  old  the  cups  leave  the 
nipper  teeth,  at  two  years  old  the  cups  leave  the  middle  teeth, 
at  two  and  a  half  years  old  he  sheds  his  nipper  teeth,  at  three 
years  old  full  size  nipper  teeth ;  three  and  a  half  years  old  he 
sheds  his  middle  teeth,  four  years  old  full-size  middle  teeth  ; 
at  four  and  a  half  years  old  sheds  his  corner  teeth ;  five  years 
old,  full-size  corner  teeth  ;  six  years  old,  large  cups  in  corner 
teeth,  small  cups  in  middle  teeth,  and  still  smaller  cups  in  nipper 
teeth  ;  seven  years  old,  cups  leave  nipper  teeth  ;  eight  years  old, 
cups  leave  the  middle  teeth  ;  nine  years  old,  cups  leave  the  cor- 
ner teeth ;  at  ten  years  old  a  dark  groove  will  make  its  appearance 
on  the  upper  corner  tooth  ;  at  fifteen  years  old  the  groove  will  be 
one-half  way  down  the  upper  corner  tooth;  at  twenty-one  years 
old  the  grooves  will  be  at  the  bottom.  At  this  age  give  your 
horse  his  time  and  let  him  have  rest  in  his  future  days. 


—  229  — 

The  groove  alluded  to  will  be  found  on  the  corner  tooth  of  the 
upper  jaw,  running  down  the  middle  of  the  tooth.  When  a 
horse  is  from  fourteen  days  to  six  years  old,  I  judge  by  the 
appearance  of  both  jaws;  when  from  six  to  ten  years,  by  the 
lower  jaw,  and  when  from  ten  to  twenty-one  years,  by  the  groove 
in  the  upper  jaw.  The  above  is  the  only  true  system  in  the 
world,  to  my  knowledge,  for  telling  a  horse's  age. 


Gleason's  Practical  Illustrations  of  the  Age  of  the 

Horse. 


Tlie  FoaPs  Jaw  at  Blrtb* 


—  230  — 


Showing'  the  Mouth  of  Colt  Six  Weekfs  Old. 


—  231  — 


Showing  Front  Teetb  of  Colt  at  Nine  Montbs. 


Side  Tlew  of  Jaw  of  a  OneiYear-Oltl  Colti 


—  22)2 


Side  Tiew  of  Jaw  of  a  Two- Year-Old  Colt. 


Siiow  iug  Colt's  Moutb  at  Two  Tears  of  Age. 


—  233  — 


Showiui^  Mouth  at  Two  and  a-half  Tears  of  Age. 


Sbowin^  montli  at  XIire«  Years  01<t« 


—  234  — 


Tbe  Jaw  of  a  Tliree-Tear-Old  Coitt 


The  Jaw  of  a  Four-Tear-Old  Colt. 


^235  — 


Sbowiug  Mouth  at  Four  Tears  of  Age. 


snowing  Moatto  at  Four  and  a-balf  Years  of  Age. 


—  236  — 


Showing  Moutli  at  Sis  Tears  of  Age, 


—  237  — 


Sliowiugr  Moutft  at  Seveu  Years  of  Age* 


Show  ingr  Moutb  at  Sig^bt  Tears  of  Age. 


—  238  — 


Showing  Moutb  Twenty  Tears  of  Age. 


Sfaoning:  the  Month  at  Thirty  Tears  of  Age. 

Having  made  a  study  of  tJie  horse's  mouth  during  my  fifteen 
years  of  experience,  the  above  illustrations  will  be  found  accurate 
in  all  cases.  But  I  will  refer  you  to  my  new  method  of  telling 
the  age  of  a  horse  from  fourteen  days  to  twenty-one  years  old. 
Buy  all  horses  by  its  instructions  and  you  will  never  be  deceived. 


—  241  — 

and  cheeks  to  become  sore  and  lacerated,  which,  in  a  high-strung 
and  nervous  beast,  causes  him  to  balk.  Now,  to  have  your  horse's 
teeth  fixed,  take  a  float  or  rasp  and  file  off  the  inside  edges  of  the 
teeth — just  the  sharp  edges.  Never  let  a  man  cut  your  horse's  teeth 
with  shears,  as  it  is  impossible  to  cut  ivory  without  fracturing  it. 
This  operation  of  floating  should  be  done  once  a  year  regularly. 
Always  have  the  operation  performed  by  a  man  of  good  judgment. 
Many  a  time  a  horse  loses  a  grinder,  then  the  opposite  grinder  is 
given  a  chance  to  grow,  and  eventually  comes  into  direct  contact 
with  the  opposite  gum,  making  it  impossible  for  the  horse  to  eat  at 
all.  Examine  your  horse's  mouth  thoroughly ;  see  that  the  teeth  are 
even ;  if  not,  take  a  float  and  make  them  so.  Many  of  our  best 
veterinarians  prescribe  condition  powders  and  medicines  for  horses 
that  are  in  thin  flesh,  hide-bound,  etc.,  when  the  proper  operation 
upon  the  teeth  will  cure  your  horse  without  buying  a  lot  of  this 
trash. 


HORSE-SHOEING  DEPARTMENT. 


Question.  What  do  you  think  of  horse-shoes  and  horse-shoeing  in 
general ? 

Answer.  There  is  no  subject  before  the  horse  owners  to-day  that 
should  interest  them  more  than  the  subject  of  horse-shoeing.  The 
force  of  this  statement  will  make  itself  felt  when  you  consider  that 
there  are  in  the  United  States  at  the  present  time  over  14,000,000 
horses,  and  that  fully  one  half  of  them  are  badly  crippled  and  al- 
most spoiled  by  the  sheer  ignorance  of  the  ordinary  horse-shoer. 
I  claim  that  more  horses  are  made  lame  by  this  butchery  than  any 
other  cause,  for  the  reason  that  the  majority  of  blacksmiths  have 
not  had  the  experience  necessary  to  do  the  work  as  it  should  be 
done.  They  have  not  thoroughly  mastered  their  profession.  In 
order  for  a  horse-shoer  to  understand  the  science  of  his  profes- 
sion  and   the   anatomy  of  the   horse's   foot,    it  is   necessary  for 


—  246  — 


To  Sboe  a  Uorse  for  <iuar(er  Crack  or  Bad  Corn^ 


Question.    How  can  I  cure  a  sand  or  toe  crack  ? 

Answer.     Shoe  the  horse  the  same  as  for  corn  or  quarter  crack. 

(See  engravings  for  the  above). 

Question.     What  shall  I  do  for  a  horse  that  stumbles  when  driven  r 

Answer.  Pare  his  toes ;  have  them  much  lower  than  the  heel, 
and  use  as  heavy  a  shoe  as  possible,  with  all  the  weight  of  the  shoe 
at  the  toe.  This  will  give  him  the  proper  knee  action,  and  prevent 
him  from  stumbling,   unless  he  is   weak  in  the  tendons;  if  so. 


—  247  — 

use  any  of  my  liniments  laid  down  in  this  book,  rubbing  them  in 
the  cords  and  tendons  of  the  horse's  limbs.  Give  him  a  little  rest 
until  you  get  him  properly  strengthened.  Many  horses  stumble 
from  nothing  but  weakness,  and  rest  will  cure  them. 


Proper  Way  of  Shoeing  for  Toe  or  Sand  Crack. 

The  following  engraving  shows  a  horse  shod  with  a  high-heeled 
shoe,  which  will  cause  him  to  stumble ;  also  will  cause  his  tendons  to 
become  contracted  and  cause  general  disease  of  the  limb.  If  you  have 
caulks  put  on  the  shoe,  have  the  toe  caulk  the  same  height  of  the  heel 
caulk,  giving  the  shoe  an  even  bearing. 


—  266  — 


A  florae's  Foot  Perfectly  Shod. 

The  frog,  in  cases  where  it  can  be,  should  come  down  level  with 
the  shoe.  The  above  illustration  shows  the  way  all  horses  should 
be  shod,  except  when  caulks  are  required.  Caulks  should  always  be 
low,  and  all  shoes  be  perfectly  level,  no  thicker  at  the  toe  than  at 
the  heel. 


Question.     What  are  a  few  good  general  points  on  horsemanship  ? 

Answer.  Match  horses  with  reference  to  size  and  motion,  parti- 
cularly to  color,  if  you  can. 

Always  have  inside  lines  on  double  team  quite  long  and  back 
straps  short. 

Never  check  a  horse  if  you  wish  him  to  last  long. 

Kever  feed  from  mangers.  Let  your  horse  eat  his  food  from  the 
floor  even  with  his  feet.    A  great  many  horses  BuflFer  from  indiges- 


Toe  weight  sTioe 


JSTcrn-vaddZing  shjoe . 


7lLe.  foot  reach/  fbt-  the  shoe,showing 
froa  and  bars  as  thef/  s/iouZd.  be  U^i 


froiii  vieM>  aficnop  -foe  ron/hg-motion  shn^ 


JSnd,  footsJioc  to  balance  the  ar/ion,. 


Sidt  R'elgTit.  shoe  fbrJu/voL  foot . 


Foot  prepared,  for  Chca-Uer  tip. 


Foot  shod,  with-  CharUerUp. 


Bight  ruing. 


li^orvj  ritMjx.g. 


a.Ji/ail  properly  driven,, 
h.  .'/VaiZ  improperb/  drivefu  ■ 


Coniracted  fbot, 


Sound,  but  flat  foot: 


jBcbdly  contracted,  toot. 


SOUND-AND  CONTRACTED  F£ET. 


Jhrn,  ■fbrbixrning  Twles. 


ActOjoZ  thickness 
of  walls  of  Two  f. 


The  clamp  and  ncaL  ixTneflu^  apvUetZ, 


QuxtrtBT-crcbch,  with,  cross  cut'.') 


Tea  cmcfc.  Wall  removed,  to  sJtoiv 
fibsarptioiv  of  coffin,  'bone. 


'Ireutecl  t/i/  ciampuig  wtthncuis. 


Crachccl,  walls. 


One  effect  of  (^aarier-Crac^ 


QUARTER-CRACK  AND  REMEDIES. 


w 

Q 
Ui 

w 

Q 

D 
O 


'Far e  arm 


( 


JixnxjBonc, 

after  DaSd 


,  f   I  IFlPxnr 

Caroioniont    L      \\  1      *\  \perfomns._ 

\r      It.      IT)  \j]frforaUis.. 


JFbop„ 


4iu::fo7ri)/  of  the.  foot; 

after  Hautner, 


J3anesofthe  /bof>, 
after  CI  -i\  Ciia^ 


i/ndtm 


afi-r  Stone  hoi  go 


-^  <:^^  /<  n!arl)i  sea  •,  c 
after  Sto  icf  cngo 


RING  BONB  ANX>  NAVICULAR  DISEASE. 


—  269  — 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HORSE. 

Causes  of  Disease. 

Scientific  men  give  three  names  when  they  speak  of  the  causes 
of  disease — exciting,  predisjwsing,  and  proximate.  Tlie  first  may 
justly  be  termed  the  originators  of  disease;  by  the  second  is 
meant  those  more  easily  acted  upon  by  causes  that  a  more  healthy 
animal  would  resist  altogether ;  and  the  third  is  almost  the  disease 
itself.  Of  the  causes  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  not  many 
of  them  are  alike,  and  their  effects,  that  is,  the  disease,  just  as 
diverse. 

These  causes  are  named  in  the  following  table : 

1.  Electric,  and  other  conditions  of  the  atmosphere. 

2.  Food  and  water. 

3.  Overwork. 

4.  Poisons — animal,  vegetable,  mineral  and  zumins,  or  ferments. 

5.  Malformations,  or  badly-formed  parts. 

6.  Age  and  deca3^ 

7.  Changes  of  temperature. 

8.  Hereditary  influence. 

9.  Mechanical. 
10.  Starvation. 

That  the  writer  may  be  more  clearly  understood  in  regard  to 
these  causes,  examples  will  be  given  in  the  order  above  stated. 

The  first  is  looked  upon  as  the  cause  of  the  many  diseases  which 
take  on  an  epizootic  form.  The  second,  rusty  straw,  and  musty 
hay  and  corn  fed  to  animals  with  weak  stomachs.  Third,  riding 
too  far  and  too  fast,  overloading,  etc.  Fourth,  animals  drinking 
out  of  leaden  troughs,  where  pieces  of  old  iron  may  be  lying  in  the 
bottom,  and  inoculation  by  the  virus  from  a  glandered  horse,  are 
illustrations  of  animal  poisons,  zumins,  or  ferments.  (See  Gland- 
ers.) Fifth,  a  horse  with  point  of  hock  inclined  forward,  which  is 
the  originator  of  curb.  Sixth,  an  old  horse  or  cow,  with  no  teeth 
to  chew  its  feed.  Seventh,  taking  an  animal  from  a  warm  and 
comfortable  stable  and  exposing  it  to  a  cold,  north-eastern  storm. 


0:  .M  ^05  o,  c-  Co  ^:  k^ 


H 


:d 


>  ^ 

>  ^ 


—  325  — 

drops  of  muriatic  acid  into  the  opening  above  once  in  the  day,  for 
a  few  days.     This  will  destroy  the  disease. 

Founder. — (1.)  Acute  Founder, — Every  school-boy  is  familiar 
witli  the  name  of  founder  when  applied  to  a  lame  horse,  but  few 
horsemen  ever  comprehend  the  nature  and  seat  of  this  affection. 
Founder  in  all  its  forms  is  inflammation  of  the  laminae  or  leaves, 
which  dovetail  into  each  other,  and  bind  the  sensible  and  insensible 
portions  of  the  foot  together.  Hence,  it  is  called  by  some  learned 
persons  in  diseases  of  horses  laminitis,  by  adding  the  Greek  word 
itis.  Founder  is  again  called  by  some  persons  fever  in  the  feet. 
However,  as  to  names,  the  disease  is  of  frequent  occurrence,  and 
when  left  to  itself,  destroys  many  good  horses  by  leaving  them  ever 
afterward  sore  and  tender  \n  front,  as  the  horsemen  have  it. 

Symptoms.  The  horse  will  scarcely  move ;  stands  upon  his  heels, 
with  fore  feet  and  legs  stretched  out  as  far  as  he  can  get  to  throw 
the  weight  off  them.  Thus,  to  all  appearances,  making  the  animal 
hollow  in  the  breast,  which  appearance  has  given  rise  to  the  idea 
that  the  horse  is  chest-foundered.  The  hind  legs  are  brought  far 
in  under  the  belly.  The  head  of  the  horse  is  erect  and  high. 
Fever  and  constitutional  disturbance  are  very  great.  The  horse  is 
extremely  excitable,  and  breathing  fast  and  laborious.  Alto- 
gether, the  poor  suffering  horse  is  the  very  picture  of  distress  and 
disease. 

Causes.  Giving  cold  water  when  overheated,  and  tired  from 
overwork.  A  tendency  in  the  feet  to  take  on  inflammatory  action. 
The  animal  not  in  proper  health  or  condition  for  performing  heavy 
or  fast  work. 

Treatment.  Place  the  horse  in  a  wide  and  airy  stall,  with  plenty 
of  good  straw  for  bedding  to  encourage  the  horse  to  lie  down, 
which  will  relieve  him  very  much.  Indeed,  so  much  is  this  the 
case,  that  it  has  been  recommended  that  every  foundered  horse 
should  be  forcibly  thrown  and  kept  down,  till  the  active  stage  of 
the  disease  has  passed  off.  This,  however,  I  do  not  advise,  as  the 
horse  is  excited  enough  without  increasing  it  by  throwing  him 
from  his  feet.  Rather  give  good  bedding,  and  the  majority  of 
horses  so  affected  will  be  ready  and  willing  to  lie  down  of  their 
own  accord.  After  the  place  is  all  fixed,  and  the  horse  moved  into 
it,  give  him  twenty  drops  of  the  tincture  of  aconite  root  in  a  cupful 


M*  r^  cj"  sjC  ><>  <©"■'  n:  <!? 


—  343  — 

horse  fly,  G.  hemorrhoulaUs.  This  last  fly  deposits  her  eggs  on 
the  lips  of  the  horse,  and  the  former  glues  them  to  the  hair  of  the 
legs.  These  various  eggs  are  ultimate]}'  taken  into  the  stomach, 
and  in  one  year  they  have  become  sufficiently  matured  that  they 
are  thrown  out  to  the  outer  world  to  get  wings,  and  finally  fly 
about  and  propagate  their  kind  in  the  same  manner  as  the  parent 
stock.     (See  Worms.) 

Humanity  to  Animals,  Hints  on. — (1.)  Warm  the  bit  in 
frosty  weather,  before  putting  it  into  the  horse's  mouth. 

(2.)  Let  the  horse  lick  a  little  salt  from  3'our  hands  whenever 
you  offer  him  the  bit. 

(3.)  Never  startle  a  horse  by  striking  him  suddenly  or  unex- 
pectedly. This  caution  is  speciall}'  important  if  he  has  a  blind 
bridle. 

(4.)  Uniformly  gentle  treatment  will  secure  faithful  and  steady 
work.  Anger,  severity,  and  sudden  jerking,  endanger  your  har- 
ness, your  vehicle,  and  your  life,  besides  permanently  injuring 
your  horse. 

(5.)  Be  well  provided  with  horse-blankets,  particularly  at  night. 
If  you  are  waiting  for  passengers,  while  you  look  out  for  your  own 
comfort  by  a  warm  fireside,  or  in  thick  wrappers,  see  that  your 
faithful  l)rute  companion  is  also  protected  from  the  chilly  air. 

(6.)  Wash  the  inside  of  the  collar  frequently  with  castile  soap 
suds,  and  when  it  has  thoroughly  dried,  gently  warm  the  leather 
and  soak  it  with  oil,  so  as  to  soften  it.  But  do  not  allow  any  oil 
to  remain  on  the  surface  of  the  leather,  unabsorbed. 

(.7.)  If  the  shoulders  are  tender,  feverish,  and  disposed  to  chafe, 
they  should  be  well  rubbed,  and  afterwards  washed  with  salt 
water.  This  should  be  done  after  unharnessing,  so  that  the  parts 
bathed  may  be  dry  before  work  is  resumed. 

(8.)  Do  not  be  tempted  by  extra  pay  to  overload  your  team. 
Overloading  occasions  blindness,  spavin,  splint,  glanders,  farcy, 
and  other  painful  and  fatal  disorders,  and  thus  risks  the  loss  of 
your  capital,  besides  injuring  yourself  by  encouraging  a  cruel  dis- 
position. 

(9.)  See  that  the  harness  fits  easily  in  every  part,  and  that  the 
shoes  are  tight  and  well  put  on.     If  there  are  chains  connected 


CHAMPIONS 


AMERICAN  TURF. 

An  Authentic  Article  on  our  Foremost 
Trotters,  Pacers,  and  Runners, 


LESLIE    E.    MACLEOD, 

Editor-in-Chibf  "  Chicago  Horseman." 


465 


Champions  of  the  American  Turf. 

Training  is  as  important  a  factor  iu  the  improvement  and  devel- 
opment of  the  horse  as  is  breeding.  In  this  book  Professor  Gleason 
treats  of  that  l)ranch  of  horse  education  which  he  has  thoroughly 
mastered ;  and  it  is  fitting  that,  as  a  complement  to  the  subject-matter 
of  the  volume,  a  condensed  treatise  be  presented,  treating  not  of  the 
method,  but  of  the  result  of  training  in  its  other  branch,  viz.,  training 
for  speed. 

The  great  importance  of  training  as  a  factor  in  breeding  and 
improving  those  breeds  of  horses  in  which  speed  and  endurance  are 
prime  essentials  is  appreciated  by  even  novices  in  the  study  of  the 
science  of  breeding.  The  great  influence  exerted  by  training  on  the 
improvement  of  a  breed,  generation  after  generation,  is  self-evident 
from  the  two  basic  principles  adhered  to  by  all  learned  writers  in  the 
laws  of  inheritance,  viz. :  First,  That  acquired  habits  and  acquired 
capabilities  are  in  greater  or  less  degree  transmitted  from  parents  to 
offspring.  Second,  That  the  structural  character,  as  well  as  mental 
organization  of  animals,  are  modified  by  and  gradually  adapted  to 
their  environments  and  uses.  It  is  thus  by  development  and  by  the 
selection  for  purposes  of  reproduction  of  animals  that  excel  in  special 
required  capacities  that  through  the  courses  of  nature  special  types, 
or  breeds,  are  foimed. 

No  doubt,  in  the  proc:ss  of  the  ages,  all  our  types  of  horses  came 
from  a  common  ancestry.  Generations  of  breeding  for  size  and 
strength,  without  regard  to  speed  or  grace,  have  given  us,  on  the  one 
hand,  the  massive,  slow,  and  ponderous  draft-horse,  weighing  a  ton  or 
more,  the  Norman,  the  Shire,  and  the  Clydesdale ;  and  on  the  other 
hand,  breeding  and  training  for  speed  for  generations  has  given  us 
the  fleet,  the  lithe  and  gazelle-like  race-horse,  rarely  mucli  exceeding  a 
thousand  pounds  in  weight,  glorying  in  his  gift  of  speed,  and  with  the 
finely-toned  muscle  and  ligament,  the  light  but  dense  quality  of  bone, 
the  absence  of  all  useless  and  clogging  bulk,  and  the  perfection  of 
circulatory  and  respiratory  systems  that  all  contribute  to  extreme  and 
sustained  speed. 

My  function  now,  however,  is  no  more  to  dilate  upon  the  philosophy 
of  breeding  race  horses  than  the  method  of  training  them,  but  the 
rather  to  sum  up,  historically  and  statistically,  what  has  been  accom- 


_  456  — 

plislied  through  the  science  of  breeding  and  the  art  of  traiuiug  applied 
by  human  iutelligeuce  with  the  purpose  of  improving  the  horse  by 
increasing  his  natural  speed  and  endurance. 

From  the  earliest  ages  of  the  human  race,  horse-racing  has  held  its 
place  as  the  noblest  sport.  Just  when  horse-racing  begun  w«  cannot 
say,  but  history  records  that  chariot- races  were  a  feature  of  the  funeral 
games  uf  Patroclus,  in  the  twenty-third  Olympiad,  which  would  be 
about  684  B.  C.  The  Olympic  games,  of  which  racing  was  a  part, 
then  bore  a  semi-religious  character,  for  the  belief  that  the  dead  would 
be  appeased  or  gratified  by  the  things  that  pleased  them  in  life  was  a 
heritage  of  the  early  Greeks  and  Romans,  and  these  games,  including 
chariot-racing,  archery,  wrestling,  and  boxing,  were  generally  held  near 
some  shrine  or  consecrated  spot.  The  hippodrome  in  which  these 
Grecian  races  were  held  was  "a  race-course  1,200  feet  long  and  400 
feet  wide,  laid  out  on  the  left  side  of  the  hill  of  Krouos,  and  the  whole 
circuit  had  to  be  traversed  twelve  times."  To  the  chariots  were  har- 
nessed two,  three  or  four  horses,  and  that  large  "  fields "  started  is 
shown  by  the  early  Grecian  poet  Pindar,  who  praises  a  distinguished 
athlete  of  Gyrene,  who  brought  his  chariot  through  uninjured  in  a  race 
where  no  less  than  forty  chariots  started.  None  but  the  rich  and 
p  )\verful  could  aspire  to  this  kingly  sport,  and  "  even  kings  and  tyrants 
eagerly  contested  for  the  palm."  Among  men  enrolled  on  the  list  of 
victors  were  Cyclon,  of  Athens,  the  Spartan  king  Pausanias,  and 
Archelaus,  of  Maeedon. 

According  to  Greek  history,  racing  on  horse  back  dates  from  the 
thirty-third  Olympiad,  whicli  would  be  forty  years  later  than  the 
chariot-racing  first  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  funeral  games  of 
Patroclus.  In  the  Homeric  times  the  prizes  awarded  winners  cf 
horse-races  at  the  Olympic  games  were  said  to  be  of  great  richness,  but 
later  the  otdy  prize  given  the  victor  was  a  garland  of  wild  olives,  cut 
with  a  golden  sickle  from  a  sacred  tree,  whose  branches  were,  according 
to  Pindar,  "a  shelter  common  to  all  men,  and  a  crown  of  noble  deeds." 
But  the  greatest  honor  and  prestige  fell  to  a  victor  in  these  ancient 
races.  His  name,  lineage,  and  country  were  proclaimed  by  a  herald, 
the  garland  of  wild  olives  was  taken  from  a  table  of  ivory  and  gold, 
and  placed  on  his  brow,  and  as  he  marched  in  the  sacred  revel  to  the 
temple  of  Zeus  his  path  was  showered  with  costly  gifts,  and  his  name 
was  enrolled   in  the  Greek  calendar.     If  an  Athenian,  he    received 


A  SKETCH 


THE  LIFE  AND  WORK 


Prof.  OSCAR  R.  GLEASON. 


THE   KING   OF  HORSE  TRAINERS. 


W.    FLETCHER    JOHNSON 


SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE 


PROF.    GLEASON. 


Oscar  R.  Gleason  was  born  at  Petersham,  Worcester  County,  Mas- 
sachusetts, on  July  14th,  1856,  his  family  name  being  a  not  uncom- 
mon one  in  the  New  England  States.  His  father,  Charles  F.  Gleason, 
was  a  stockman,  who  especially  excelled  in  the  knowledge  and  man- 
agement of  horses,  and  this  trait  was  undoubtedly  inherited  by  his  son, 
who,  at  a  very  early  age  evinced  a  similar  aptitude  in  a  most  striking 
degree.  The  elder  Gleason  was  a  man  of  magnificent  physical  pro- 
portions and  powers,  and  was  famed  for  his  ability  to  conquer  and  tame 
the  wildest  and  most  refractory  horses.  He  was  always  ready,  and 
even  eager  to  purchase  horses  regarded  as  vicious,  and  he  never  failed 
to  make  them  entirely  kind  and  gentle.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hats,  etc.,  from  palm  leaves.  He 
had  six  or  seven  establishments  in  different  towns,  and  gave  out  much 
"  piece  work  "  to  be  done  at  home,  in  scores  of  houses  in  Massachusetts 
and  even  other  adjoining  States.  He  had,  therefore,  to  keep  many 
horses  and  wagons  for  cartage,  and  was  himself  on  the  road  much  of 
the  time.  "  Whenever  he  heard,"  says  the  son,  "  of  a  runaway  or 
vicious  animal,  he  would  go  miles  to  buy  it,  claiming  that  only  the 
best  horses  were  vicious.  He  declared  the  best  way  to  cure  a  run- 
away horse  was  to  give  him  the  end  of  the  road.  I  never  knew  him 
to  have  a  sick  or  lame  horse  in  my  life  ;  although  he  gave  his  animals 
hard  drives,  he  always  took  the  best  of  care  of  them.  He  never  drove 
less  than  10  miles  an  hour  on  the  road." 

Oscar  R.  Gleason's  mother  was  Ellen  F.  Drury,  of  Salem,  Massa 
chusetts  ;  one  of  those  earnest,  determined  and  devoted  mothers  whose 
character  and  early  teachings  have  done  so  much  for  the  development 
of  noble  and  successful  manhood  among  the  people  of  New  England. 

The  family  removed  in  1868  to  Dakota,  Humboldt  County,  Iowa, 


,  .  .  A  Work  Endorsed  by  the  Greatest  Horsemen  .  .  . 

Qleason's    F4-orse    Rook 

The   Only    Authorized  Work  by  America's  KING  OF    HORSE    TRAINERS, 

PROF.  OSCAR  R,  ^LEASQN, 

The  American  lad  whose  noble  efforts  in  behalf  of  the  horse  have  been  highly 
commended  by  the  most  prominent  people  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 
The  book  is  a  Necessity  to  Every  Horse  Owner,  for,  in  addition  to  giving 
a  complete  and  intensely  interesting  and  instructive  History  of  the  Horse,  it  gives 
in  simple  language,  free  from  technicalities,  complete  instructions  and  rules  for 
Breeding,  Training,  Breaking,  Buying,  Grooming,  Feeding,  5hoeing, 
Telling  Age,  and  General  Care  of  the  Horse. 
The  book  also  contains  an   excellent  veterinary  department,  with  a   com- 
plete index,  which  if  used  but  once  would 

SAVE  A  LARGE  DOCTOR  BILL  OR  A  VALUABLE  HORSE, 

for  in  it  is  described  plainly  and  intelligently  the  exact  cause  and  remedy  for 
each  disease  of  the  horse  from  A  to  Z,  by  Prof.  Gleason,  who  is 

Recognized  by  the  United  States  Government 

as  the  most  expert  and  successful  horseman  of  the  present  age. 

The  book  contains,  in  addition  to  the  above,  a  sketch  of  the  life  and 
work  of  Prof.  Gleason,  written  by  W.  Fletcher  Johnson,  the  New  York 
journalist  and  litterateur;  a  magnificent  article  on  the 

CHAMPIONS  OF  THE  AHERICAN  TURF,  ^ 

by  Leslie  E.  MacLeod,  Editor  of  the  Chicago  Horseman,  the  greatest  paper  of 
its  kind  in  the  country;  and  a  paper  on  the 

LAWS  GOVERNING  AUCTION  SALES  OF  HORSES, 
also  carefully  prepared  by  a  trained  editorial  writer. 

The  whole  is  illustrated  with  four  magnificent  colored  lithographic 
reproductions,  produced  at  great  expense  from  plates  prepared  by  the 
chief  veterinarian  of  the  United  Stated  Army  ;  eight  hall-tone  portraits 
of  famous  horses  (one  of  them  showing  the  latest  record  breaker  harnessed 
to  the  new  ball-bearing  pneumatic-tired  sulky),  and  191  other  engravings, 
making,  in  all, 

203  Surpassing.  Illustrations. 

STYLES  AND  PRICES. 

The  book  contains  about  500  pages,  and  is  bound  and  sold  as  follows: 
Handsome  English  Cloth,  Gold,  Silver  and  Ink  Stamp,       -         $2,00 
Sheep,  Harbled  Edges,  =         =         =         =         =         =         =  3.25 


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